Of Hate, Understanding, and Love
by AdmHawthorne
Summary: What starts out as a way for Regina to get Henry back into her life turns into something much better and very unexpected for the former queen turned former mayor. Eventual Swan Queen. CoWritten with TwitchertheDrunk (Please see Ch. 1's AN. Really. Read it.)
1. September 1st

**This is an AU-ish story that TwitchertheDrunk and I are working on. We've set it after Emma and Mary Margaret come back from the Enchanted Forest but before "The Cricket Games", which means that everyone is trying very hard. Regina is trying to redeem herself, Emma is trying to trust her, and everyone else is trying to do something (goodness only knows what).**

**This one is going to be _really_ long. We honestly don't know how many chapters it will wind up being. We're just going with it for now. Our master plan is to post two chapters every Friday.**

**We're also each going to post something. I will be posting from Regina's point of view. TwitchertheDrunk will be posting from Emma's point of view. It turns out, this has become really interesting on a character study level, and, because it's just scenes involving Regina and Emma, it creates a different storytelling narrative than the norm for fan fiction.**

**Characters aren't mine or twitcherthedrunk. They belong to ABC, Disney, and other assorted entities of importance. I gain nothing from writing these stories but the fun of doing it. Please don't sue me.**

* * *

**_Chapter One_**  
**_Sept. 1st, Sunday Evening_**  
**_Mayor's House_**

"Of course you would be late, Miss Swan." Regina swung her front door open and stepped to the side, eyebrow rising in irritation. "I see your little vacation into the Enchanted Forest has only served to teach you the manners of an ogre, though that may actually be an improvement."

Emma rolled her eyes and stepped inside. "One minute hardly makes me late. There was a thing with...someone." Regina shot her a look of disbelief, causing the blonde to wince. "Anyway, why am I here? If it's for more paperwork, I swear to god…"

"You'll what?" Closing the front door and heading to the study, she called over her shoulder in a tone drenched in apathy, "Bore me to death with stories about your ill-fated attempts at relationships?"

"Considering you brought them up, maybe you _want_ to know, Regina. And here I thought you knew everything already." With a sigh, Emma followed her reluctant hostess.

Regina gave a dark chuckle as they entered the home's office. Motioning for the sheriff to take a seat on the sofa, she perched herself on one of the straight backed, Queen Anne chairs across the way. "You're here because we agreed to meet today to discuss what to do regarding my visitations with Henry, not verbally spar with each other, and, really, Miss Swan? That's the best you can do? I thought all the time you've been spending with Ruby Lucas would have broadened your horizons. The waitress is remarkably good at jabs. It would seem the only thing that's rubbed off on you from that woman is a shift to an even more questionable sense of fashion."

Smoothing a wrinkle in her shirt as a means to ignore her guest's rising ire, she gave a very small, almost nonchalant shrug. "Not that any of this is part of the point. The point is that you've been keeping my son from me, and I think it's time that we begin to make arrangements so that I may see him."

Taking in a deep breath, Regina finally made eye contact as if to emphasize what she was about to share. "The cricket has offered his services as a mediator if we need it, but I'd rather not deal with him if we can avoid it. Despite my better judgment, I'm going to trust we're both mature enough to come to an agreement on our own. However, if you need credentials in order to believe I won't hurt _my _son, you may speak with Dr. Hopper. He's offered to vouch for me, and he's said he thinks that spending time with me would be good for both me and Henry."

"Insult me in one breath, and need something from me in the next." She watched with barely hidden annoyance as Emma almost casually leaned back into the sofa and crossed her arms. "Not very diplomatic of a former mayor, or queen. You could at least respect Archie enough not to call him 'the cricket', even if that is what he is." The sheriff rolled her eyes at the very idea that the man who counseled half the town was actually a bug who once wore a top hat and tails, and Regina held back the look of agreement she wanted to give. There were some things that truly were too odd to be reality. "I don't think you'll hurt Henry." The look the blonde gave her made her feel like they were teenagers daring each other to do something dangerous. "Convince me it'd be good for the kid, and yourself... I guess, and I'll think about it."

Regina sighed as she ran her tongue across the back of her teeth, trying not to show how frustrated she was with the current set of affairs. "I suppose the argument that I _am _his mother and did raise him, alone, for 10 years isn't enough?" She watched the younger woman shrug while giving her a face that confirmed her observation. "No, of course not. Fine, Miss Swan, if you insist on playing this trivial game…" She let her voice trail off as she considered the best way to answer. She didn't want to give away anything that might allow the Sheriff an upper hand, and she knew she needed to say something the blonde thought she wanted to hear if Regina was ever going to see Henry again without having to sneak around town to do it.

As if moving a piece on a chessboard, Regina carefully reached forward to straighten the coasters on her coffee table as she answered in a calm voice, "As much as it pains me to admit it, I agree with the crick... _Doctor_ Hopper. Henry has spent the majority of his life with me, and, now that I'm attempting to be a better person, it would be good for him to see that in action so he knows it's perfectly acceptable to do something other than show contempt and hatred for me. Hopper made a valid point today. It's not healthy for Henry to constantly see us all fighting amongst ourselves, especially about him. We need to come to some sort of mutually acceptable and, perhaps, neutral agreement with each other so Henry doesn't feel put in the middle of our disagreements. By allowing me to visit with him, you would be nurturing and encouraging this."

She sat up again and looked Emma in the eye, face falling completely emotionless. "As for myself? He's my son. His very existence in my life has been a main motivating factor for the things I do for a very long time, including this 'road to redemption', as you've started calling it. Consider time spent with my son reward for good behavior, and I'll continue to see this whole thing as a worthwhile endeavor."

She watched intently as the younger woman shifted at the last sentence, and Regina sensed she'd said the wrong thing. She'd lost a pawn, and she needed to act fast before she lost even more. For added measure, she offered politely, "And, if you'd like, you may occasionally join us for dinner when Henry is over for a visit. I'm sure the show of a united front would also be healthy for Henry, and," she forced a small smile, "I wouldn't be opposed to the company occasionally."

Emma slowly shook her head from side to side, and Regina could tell that the other woman felt unsettled about her suggestion. She mentally cursed herself for the offer, knowing it was out of character, but she hadn't prepared for Emma to demand she be convinced to allow Henry to visit even after Hopper's suggestion. The blonde was better at playing political games than Regina had suspected. Things were clearly about to get interesting. "I don't like the idea of rewarding good behavior like that. You're an adult; you hardly need to be rewarded for doing the right thing. But, as much as it pains me to, I agree with you. Henry shouldn't learn contempt and hatred for you from others. He needs to decide for himself." The implication of the last statement was clear, and Regina's postured straightened even more.

She leaned in as if to retort, but Emma's grunt made her stop before she began. She waited to see how the sheriff was going to dig herself out of the hole she'd just made by implying the end of her statement was 'that you deserve his contempt and hatred'.

Emma seemed to quickly put the pieces together, much to the former mayor's surprise, and added before the fight could really break out, "What if I joined you for dinner a few nights a week with Henry? It would show a united front in the beginning until he," she gave an almost apologetic shrug, "gets used to the idea, and then I can gradually see myself out as he...hopefully...begins to see you as his other mother, or makes his decision." Holding her hand out, she made a gesture as if she were offering something up to the brunette. "It's a win-win situation. You won't have to pretend to like me for longer than necessary, and you'd get to spend time with Henry." Regina gave a cold stare to the hand presented to her. She mentally smiled when the hand dropped back into the other woman's lap and Emma visibly shuddered. "What do you think?"

"His _other _mother?" The brunette's jaw twitched, and her hands fisted where they lay in her lap at the gall of the woman sitting on her sofa. How dare she regulate Regina to the background in that way.

"His mother... _One _of his mothers." Emma rolled her eyes again. "I didn't mean it like you took it, not that you'll believe me."

Regina's eyes narrowed and her mouth pursed in thought for a moment. She desperately wanted to shoot back with verbal fire for the insult she had just received, but her desire to see Henry was far greater. Instead, she offered in a controlled, calm voice, "For the sake of this conversation, I'm inclined to let that go for now, Sheriff."

Her voice pinched with her effort not to snarl at the other woman. "What do I think about sharing my son with you? I think you already know the answer to that. However, some time with Henry is better than no time at all. That said, I do expect to see some sort of progress. I'd like to revisit the idea of actually having personal time with him, alone, at some point."

She watched Emma's arms drop back down to her sides while she cautiously nodded at the suggestion. "The idea is to do this in a progressive way, instead of just expecting Henry to accept staying with you. You know him better than...anyone. He never stays anywhere he doesn't want to be. I want you two to be nice to each other and able to spend time alone together."

"As do I." Slowly unfurling her hands and forcing herself to calm down, the older woman added quietly, "I suppose this means I should consider dinner options. What do you like to eat, and please don't say pizza or burgers."

"I like other things besides pizza and burgers!" At the incredulous look shot toward her, Emma defended by adding, "Like...sandwiches! And pasta." Regina was pleased to see that, despite herself, the blonde was blushing as she quickly looked away. If she couldn't reply back to the insults regarding her rightful claim as Henry's only mother, then she could at least make the sheriff squirm a little. In fact, she found she was thoroughly enjoying make her squirm.

"Really, Miss Swan? I'm loathe to think about what you're feeding Henry these days. Why don't I make a nice glazed chicken with a side of asparagus and rosemary potatoes? You _are _familiar with the idea of something that's not made from a box, are you not?"

The sheriff smirked at her in reply. "Yeah," she said with a twinkle in her eyes, "Granny's has all kinds of things we eat from scratch."

Regina rolled her eyes with all gusto she could manage. Was Emma Swan really flirting with her? This could be useful later. "You may bring dessert. I think that would also show a united front. I understand Granny's makes some acceptable desserts."

"I'm sure she can provide an apple cobbler or something." She watched Emma's smirk turn devilish, and she tried not to chuckle at the wink directed her way. Since when did this woman make her actually want to laugh with her as oppose to laugh at her? "And hey, cereal comes in a box, and that's okay! I suppose you fed him a three course breakfast every day? Or would it be five?" She began ticking off items on her hand. "Eggs, toast, waffles, pancakes, juice? Or would it be fruit, granola, yogurt, juice, and...something else healthy."

"Mock me as much as you like," She found herself struggling to maintain her air of irritation. The young woman was amusing, though she hated to admit that. Managing to keep the superiority in her tone, she chastised, "but feeding Henry a balanced diet is what a responsible parent does. However, he is still a child, and there are times when he had cereal for breakfast. His favorite is Apple Jacks." She saw Emma's eyes light up with unspoken jokes, and she held her hand up to cut them off. "Please keep your comments to yourself. That was entirely his choice. I had nothing to do with it."

Instead of cracking the jokes she desperately wanted to, Regina watched Emma shrug it off. Before she could move on in the conversation, the blonde cut her off in a mock thoughtful voice still laced with humor, "Hmm. I was always partial to Cinnamon Toast Crunch."

She grunted in acknowledgment. A little jibe she could handle, but she was perplexed with Emma's apparent hate of actual, non-processed food. The thought distracted her from the political game revolving around her rights to visitation, and she said in a truly curious tone, "I honestly don't understand your disdain for good, quality food. It's far less likely to kill you than the tripe you normally eat, and Henry never seemed to complain."

The blonde made a face at her. "I don't disdain quality food. I just don't understand why healthy food has to taste like it was scraped off the bottom of a shoe, or as if it was dried out and all the taste was removed purposefully. I like to enjoy food. What's wrong with that?"

"What _do _you feed my son, Miss Swan?" Despite the annoyed tone in her voice, Regina's eyes gave way to the fact that she was enjoying this conversation. Given enough interactions, she might be willing to admit that Emma was less annoying than she originally gave her credit for.

Instead of shooting an aggravated look at the blondes little victorious smile, she watched with barely concealed humor as Emma shrugged, clearly baiting her. "I feed him hot dogs, mostly. What else do kids eat? Oh, and those uh...Kraft things. Lunchables. He loves 'em."

A small, amused smile began to creep onto the older woman's face. "Clearly, you've never had good, quality food." She set back in her seat, crossed her legs, and pursed her lips in thought. It looked as though the only way to prove her point was by demonstration. "Let me cook something for you, and you'll see how healthy food is actually supposed to taste. I'll cook more than is needed, and you may take the rest home so Henry has something to eat other than processed foods."

Again, she watched Emma smirk while narrowing her eyes in yet another dare. "That...almost sounds like a date, Regina. Dinner? Will there be a show as well? And hey. Not everything is processed! Sometimes he visits my parents for dinner."

Regina scoffed. "You live _with_ your parents, and don't flatter yourself. This is not a date. This is my attempt to make certain my son is fed actual food from time to time."

"Of course I live _with_ my parents," the sheriff didn't bother to hide her own amused smile, and Regina could feel how infectious that smile really was. It unnerved her, but she didn't actually want to fight it. "I meant he visits _with_ them for dinner. Instead of it just being me and him, it's all of us, which means they cook, and I don't microwave something. Besides, if all you wanted to do was make sure _Henry_ was fed, then all you had to do was drop off food and leave me out of it. No you said, 'Let me cook for you.' You were being nice to _me._ Admit it."

Regina gave a dismissive snort to try to cover up the sudden upswing in positive feelings toward the daughter of Snow White. "Stop avoiding the topic at hand. We're supposed to be discussing visitation with Henry. Assuming you're fine with my dinner plans, What time should I expect Henry... and you ...for dinner tomorrow?"

"Fine." Emma threw her hands up in a show of surrender. "You're making the dinner, you tell me when to show up with Henry and I'll be there. Okay?"

"Tomorrow evening, 6PM." Regina glanced at her watch to emphasize her point. "Try not to be late, and have Henry bring his homework. He can finish it in my study after dinner."

She gave herself another tally in the win column as the blonde frowned and snapped back at the jibe, "One minute is not late!" At her look of indifference to Emma's apparent indignation, the sheriff sighed. "Tomorrow it is." Regina watched her stand and was privately amused at the playful glare shot down at her. "This better be the best damn glazed chicken I've ever tasted, or I may have to request only lasagna for future dinners."

She lifted an eyebrow in mock irritation, tilting her head as she regarded Emma. "I reserve my lasagna for special occasions and celebrations. Perhaps another day, Sheriff Swan." Standing, she motioned toward the front of the house. "I think we're done here."

Emma nodded, pushing her hands into the pocket of her jeans as she made her way to the door. "Yeah. See you tomorrow, Regina."


	2. September 2nd, After Dinner

_**Chapter Two**_  
_**Sept. 2nd, Monday Evening**_  
_**Mayor's House, After Dinner**_

The mayoral mansion's study was as coldly decorated as Regina had always preferred it. Moving to the dry bar, she poured drinks and waited until Emma decided to take a seat in the chair Regina had occupied the day before. She had to smirk at the choice. Of course the younger woman would feel more exposed on the sofa than in the chair. Just as well, Regina had no qualms with sitting anywhere. This was her realm, after all.

With the grace and elegance of one who has never known being clumsy, Regina swooped into the middle of the room from the dry bar with two tumblers of apple cider in hand. She passed one glass to her guest, and then gracefully sat upon the sofa. As she sipped her drink she enjoyed the irritated look on Emma's face at her ability to continually look exceptionally regal regardless of the setting. She considered it a satisfyingly small victory for the evening.

Giving the sheriff a predatory smile that somehow seemed to enhance her already better-than-you air, she asked in a perfectly cordial voice, "Did you enjoy dinner, Miss Swan? I've taken the liberty of packing enough food to last both you and Henry for a few days."

With skillfully hidden delight, she watched the younger woman shift uncomfortably in her chair and then shrug. "I think you were trying to feed an army, Regina. You know Henry may be growing but he's still just a boy." Regina raised an eyebrow at the comment. She had made the promise to make more than enough for the evening, hadn't she? As if reading the irritation in her mind, Emma quietly added, "It was delicious. Thank you." Regina gave her a scrutinizing look as Emma glanced around the room. What was the sheriff up to with that last remark?

"You are," the next word to leave her mouth pained her, and she barely hid her wince of distaste. The last thing she really wanted to do was exchange pleasantries with the woman across from her. "Welcome. I told you I would make enough for you to take home for you and Henry to have food for a few days. I was simply keeping my word. And," again, her voice held a twinge of displeasure for what she was saying, "thank you for helping clean up."

Giving a little shrug, Emma answered in a neutral tone, "It was nothing. Thanks for," she looked back to Regina, making eye contact, and the older woman couldn't help but believe what she was saying was true, though the words fell awkwardly from Emma's mouth, "keeping your word."

Suddenly, Regina felt exposed, as if this small conversation of pleasantries was trying to be something it wasn't. She broke eye contact and glanced around the room to give herself a moment to mentally compose and bring the game back around to where she felt it should be. Finally, her eyes finally fell to the tumbler in her hand, and she took that as her queue as to what to say next. "How's the cider, dear?"

Emma gave a shy smile. "The cider is the best, as always. Maybe someday you can teach me how you make it?" The older woman immediately noticed the blond wince at her own word slip, and she barely held back the amused smirk she felt threatening at the corners of her mouth. What was it about this woman that broke her normal reserve? "Teach _Henry_, I mean." It was clear Emma was trying to ignore the blush creeping up her neck. She tried, and failed, for a nonchalant shrug. Regina bit the inside of her lip to keep from chuckling. Despite herself, she found the younger woman's reactions to her own Freudian slips slightly likable. "You know, pass on the family secret?" Through her ever deepening blush, Emma looked up from where she had been staring at her cider, and Regina smirked at her. "To Henry."

Regina gave a genuinely light chuckle. "Perhaps." She sipped her drink and looked at the blonde over the rim of her glass. "One day." If for no other reason, she justified mentally, than to see how uncomfortable she could really make the blonde. This game she was playing with the other woman was highly amusing her. She really wouldn't be opposed to keeping it up for a bit.

Deciding to give the very uncomfortable sheriff a brief reprieve, she changed the subject with tilt of her head, though the twinkle of amusement at Emma's discomfort never left her eyes. "I'm pleased to see Henry's been keeping up with his studies. It's always been difficult to get him to focus. I suppose that's a 'family trait' of his that he gets from you. What is he working on now? I saw a book in his bag. What do they have him reading?"

"He is extremely focused if he is interested in the topic." Emma scrunched her face up in confusion. "Should I know what he's reading? All I ever see are comic books. Anything from school looks like an encyclopedia, so I figure it's for research of some kind."

Rolling her eyes and making a little scoffing sound in the back of her throat, Regina leaned forward to place the empty tumbler on a coaster on her coffee table. "Would it kill you." she asked in a harsh tone while resettling into her place on the sofa, "to be a good parent from time to time? Yes, you should _always _know what he's doing in school. How can you help him and engage him in conversations about what he's learning if you don't know what it is he's _actually doing_? Much of what a child learns, Miss Swan, comes from active interest from their parents."

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the blonde. "Honestly, sometimes I think you were raised by wolv…" Regina's voice stopped mid-word as she realized what she was about to say and how completely inappropriate it would have been in their current situation. Another time, she might have made the comment simply to get a rise out of Emma, but not in the present. Presently, she was trying to make peace so she could see her son. Patronizing the woman who had control over Henry, and whom she condemned to live 28 years without a family, about the fact she lived that long without one was probably not the best route to getting Henry back.

Taking the former mayor's abrupt silence for disgust, Emma replied back defensively, "Well how would I know? It isn't like I had an example! My foster parents never asked me about school. They only paid attention if I didn't do the work or if a teacher sent home a note. Usually the only thing they," Regina watched as the scowl on Emma's face hardened and she shook her head in the negative, frustrated at saying more than she wanted to the former Evil Queen. "You know, I'm not going to tell you that. Do I have to remind you why I didn't grow up with _my_ parents?"

Regina visibly winced at both the reminder and the control she'd suddenly lost in their current situation. There was nothing she could do about the former, but she could certainly regain the upper hand in her current conversation. "I realize that parenting is a new experience for you." She swallowed down the rising bile from what she was about to offer. "Perhaps I can help? After all, this is Henry's future we are speaking of. I want him to have the best, don't you? Part of that is active involvement in his education. I had a great deal of time before Henry came to become prepared for what he'd learn. I am willing to share what I know with you." She gave her best diplomatic smile. "For Henry's sake, of course."

Emma groaned. "Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it." Shrugging, she finished off her cider and placed it on the coffee table, ignoring the disapproving stare because she'd missed the coaster laid out for the purpose. "I ask him about his day, and he shares, but that doesn't mean I know how to find out what I need to know." She leaned back, crossing her arms, and her face pulled down into a mask of irritation. Regina could sense the uncertainty behind the mask. She knew it all too well. She frowned deeply at the young woman. There were too many parallels between them, and she hated recognizing even more of them. "Or make sure he's doing well, exceeding expectations, having his best chance." Emma allowed her arms to fall back down, and her shoulders dropped slightly. "I still want that," her face fell, and something akin to sadness briefly crossed her feature, "despite everything."

Curiously watching the blonde, Regina took a moment to consider how much she was truly willing to help her. For some reason, the helplessness that had just radiated out from the young woman had her feeling the need to fix it, and, she reasoned, this _was_ for Henry. His well-being was what was really important. "Like all children," she replied in an instructional tone, "Henry doesn't tell you what he thinks you shouldn't know. Which means, naturally, he won't tell you anything that would cause him to do more work or might get him into trouble." She tilted her head as if to ask if that made sense. Emma nodded, so she continued. "It's your job to ask him more than 'how was your day'. You should ask him exactly what he's learning in school, ask to see his homework once he's completed it each night, and offer your help if the school sends notes home that say they need volunteers."

She huffed. These things should be obvious. "Be _active_ in his life, Miss Swan, not just a casual, passing friend. I've always tried to be involved in Henry's schooling as much as he'd tolerate, but, as you might imagine, he rarely appreciated my presence. I'm sure he'd welcome yours, however." Despite herself, Regina could not keep the contempt and sadness out of her voice.

"I can help you if you're uncertain of how to help him when he needs assistance with his homework." Pursing her lips in thought, she quickly decided that what Henry actually needed was more supervision. "If you want," she offered cautiously, "we can have a standing time each weekday where he comes here with you to do his homework so that we're both here and available." She just managed to keep from wincing as she added, "Perhaps we could simply assume we'll have dinner as a," she cringed anyway. When did she start associating the word 'family' with Emma Swan? Correcting herself, she quickly emphasized, "_together_ each weeknight?"

Emma slowly shook her head from side to side, and, based on her expression as she did so, Regina wondered if she was impressed with something. "How did you manage to do all of this by yourself? Dinner every night, helping with his homework, volunteering, running the town, and knowing everything that went on?"

"Truthfully, I wasn't always so well put together." The former mayor sat quietly for a moment, considering what she was willing to share. Eventually, she sighed and continued on. "When Henry first came home, there was an... adjustment period, but I quickly learned the key was preparation and keeping a very accurate datebook," she frowned deeply as she thought of the early years with a baby Henry. "And I suppose I really ought to be fair to my secretary, Hazel. She was always there to remind me of important dates regarding the town when I became too occupied with Henry."

The younger woman's voice was nothing but sincere in her honest awe of the other woman. "I know everyone was… in a haze, but Henry wasn't." Regina blinked at the description. It was oddly accurate, and she had to give Emma points for that. There was yet another positive thing about the woman. She was really starting to hate how much she wasn't hating her present company. The smirk in the sheriff's voice brought Regina's attention back to the conversation at hand. "And I bet you always sent him to school with his lunch packed, too, didn't you? I think everyone believes you'll snap. That you'll burn the town down, or do something else evil-queenish." At the comment, Regina rolled her eyes, but Emma continued on, smirk firmly in place. "But the more I get to know Henry, the more I see the boy you raised, the less I believe you could hurt him. At least not without hurting yourself." The smirk turned into an almost proud smile, as if the Savior was somehow exceedingly proud of the Evil Queen.

Unable to process the notion, Regina simply gave a nondescript shrug, "I'm glad you can see that I would never hurt my son. I'm not as cruel as everyone here would have you believe. That book of Henry's is a very one-sided affair, don't you think? Everyone knows the story of Snow White. No one knows the story of," stopping the rant before she could really start, she closed her jaw with a snap.

However, Regina couldn't stop the overabundance of emotion in the her words, and Emma's raised eyebrow added to her disgust at herself for not being in full control. It was a rarity for the former Queen to add any emotion into her words outside of disgust, or, even more preferable, was no emotion at all. She knew she'd crossed a line she hadn't intended, and it looked like she had honestly shocked Emma, who almost didn't respond. However, when she did finally reply, it felt to the brunette for all the world as though Emma was trying to reassure her of something, though was she wasn't sure of what. "I think you can be cruel. I think you've been 'evil' in the past. You killed Graham. You've done countless things to me since I arrived in this town. I...know there are two sides to every story. I can't claim to be innocent. I've done things in order to survive. I'm willing to start over with you because of Henry."

Regina stood, indicating for the blonde to follow her lead. "Well, it's of little consequence now. Right now, what matters is ensuring Henry grows up better than either of us. Are we agreed? Dinners here on the weekdays? I'll even give you a lunch to take back with you for Henry, and, if you'd like, you as well. You could stand to eat something healthy once in a while."

Emma stood to follow, shaking her head. She answered in an amused tone, "Between dinner here every night during the week, and my parent's cooking on the weekend, I think your fears about Henry's eating habits could be laid to rest."

As they walked to the front door, Regina could feel the other woman looking around her home. She wondered what was going through her mind, but, before she could ask, Emma replied cordially, "Yes, we're agreed." She stepped to the front door and waited by the side as Regina opened it. "And, after dinner, you can tell me and Henry a story about your world. Even if you don't think it matters now, Henry might want to hear it from you. How you saw the world you grew up in, for example? Or maybe his mother's real story? I'll even trade you. You tell us about your world, and I'll tell you...some of mine."

The brunette's posture straightened and her eyes sharpened. "That is absolutely out of the question." Her jaw clenched. "I won't discuss that period of time. It's passed now, and that land, such as it was, no longer exists, as you very well know. I am willing to 'start again' with you for the sake of Henry, but there are certain aspects of my past that I will not share." Her voice was biting, and she practically radiated with her rage at the very notion of having to talk about the Enchanted Forest. "If Henry wants to know something specifically, _he _can ask me." She didn't bother to hold back her snarl. Emma's wide eyed, and Regina quickly reconsidered how she was approaching things. This was not how to win alliances. She knew better. "Don't you think," she asked in a much more subdued voice. "the important thing at this point is not to continue rehashing the past but to focus on something more agreeable in the future?"

The sheriff threw her hands up in frustration. "Hell, Regina, I didn't mean you had to talk about _you_. I just meant about the place you grew up. I guess I can't expect you to see how Henry would like that. It's not like he soaks up the stuff from that book like it's better than ice cream. But hey. Whatever. We'll never talk about it again."

Despite herself, Regina had to admit that Emma had a point. "Miss Swan, I think you misunderstand." She was, again, sharing more than she wanted, but she needed to make this work. She was willing to sacrifice some of her privacy if it meant getting Henry home again. "My... life wasn't anything that Henry would find enjoyable. The life of a child of royalty was, quite frankly, boring. The majority of my days were filled with studying the impossibly detailed goings on of the court and learning to read and write better than any man of the day could." At the blonde's questioning look at her phrasing, she carefully explained, "Mother insisted that I be better than they were. It was the only way to stay ahead of the game. There was much studying and little time for much of anything else, though occasionally I was allowed horseback riding lessons."

She let out a heavy sigh. "There was no fighting dragons or whatever else catches Henry's fancy from that book of his. My days were completely filled with learning all the rules of court or being punished for not doing something correctly." Her face fell, and, though her posture remained perfect, there was something about her presence that spoke of very heavy emotions. "Once I was married to the king, my days were filled with being, as you would more than likely crudely put it, arm candy and a surrogate mother for Snow White."

The disgust in her eyes burned at the memories. "At the age of 18, you can imagine how incredibly exciting I found any of that to be. Henry would be very disappointed in any stories I had to tell. Your _charming _father would have stories better to Henry's liking."

She watched Emma shift uneasily from foot-to-foot, and hoped she could mentally connect the dots she'd just made laid out regarding her days as a teenager. The sheriff awkwardly stuffed her hands into her pockets and said in quiet tone, "I guess I don't understand much about your world, even having been there, either. I thought maybe Henry would like the stories simply because you were telling them, for once, rather than him sneaking around you and learning from someone else. I won't bring it up again. Not like I really wanted to tell the kid about my past, either."

Glancing away, Regina replied dryly, "As I said before, it doesn't matter now."

Emma's frown deepened. "Thanks for being so willing to cook for Henry. And for me, though I know you only add me in because of Henry. I should probably get going soon. I wouldn't want to put you out for too long."

"It's fine, Sheriff." Regina stepped back, pulling the door even further open and putting more space between them. She felt like they'd been too close all evening. She needed the distance. "Shall we attempt this again tomorrow night at the same time? This time, I'll cook steak. Will that do?"

"Steak sounds wonderful. I'll," Emma looked up, giving an apologetic glance to the older woman, "pick up a different dessert?"

Regina nodded. "Yes, that will do. I will see you then, Miss Swan. Don't be late."

As the young woman walked out of the house, she protested weakly, "I wasn't late." She turned to the still open door and added with a huff, "I was differently on time!"

Once the door was firmly closed and no one could see her, Regina laughed lightly, shaking her head in amusement as she headed back to her study.

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**Thank you for reading. Remember to check TwitchertheDrunk's account for Emmas POV, and we'll have more of this up for you guys next Friday. As always, reviews are appreciated.**


	3. September 3rd, Before Dinner

**twitcherthedrunk and I realized that, if we posted 2 chapters every Friday, we'd be at this for... a _very _long time. We're already up to Chapter 51 in our rough draft, and we're not close to done. Our plan is to post _at least_ two chapters every Friday, but we'll probably post more than that. Also, twitcherthedrunk has a funky personal life schedule, so she'll more than likely post Emma's POV late at night while I will probably usually post in the AM.**

**Just wanted to give you guys that heads up. We hope you're good with this change. ~Liv**

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**_Chapter Three_**  
**_Sept. 3rd, Tuesday Evening_**  
**_Mayor's House, Before Dinner_**

Regina opened her front door and smirked. "You're here on time." Stepping to the side, she allowed the sheriff to come into her home. "That's refreshing." When there was no retort, she glanced over to see the young blonde was staring at the floor with a tired look hanging on her face.

She took a moment to consider her next move and decided that this moment might not be the right time to continue goading Emma. "Henry arrived a bit early," she offered as she made her way toward the kitchen. "He's in the den watching some cartoon with a talking dog and a boy with flame colored hair." She paused in the doorway to the kitchen and looked back to the sheriff with a genuinely confused expression on her face. "I've never really understood the entertainment value in cartoons, honestly." It was one of many things she didn't understand about this world, but, of course, she'd never really had a reason to. She mentally brushed the thought off and continued into the kitchen.

When the sheriff continued to say nothing, she turned and narrowed eyes at the other woman. Something was amiss. "At any rate," she went on as she came to a stop at the island. "If you'd like, you can join him, or, if you're feeling particularly adventurous, you may join me in the kitchen. I'm still in the middle of cooking our meal for tonight."

Emma plopped down onto a stool at the island and dropped her head onto the countertop, arms loosely dangling at her sides. "I'll stay here. It's been a...day." Her groan was muffled by the counter, and Regina had to strain to understand what she was saying. "Do you have anything stronger than cider to drink? I'd like to rid myself of the aftertaste of dealing with, well, everyone. Between dealing with Gold this morning, and my parents this afternoon, I may not be the best company."

The older woman stopped working to look down at the back of the blonde head now resting atop her kitchen island. She knew exactly how the sheriff felt. She'd been dealing with those same people for decades, and, cursed or not, they were a pain. "It's been my experience that anytime one deals with Gold, or your parents, one comes away with a bad taste in one's mouth." She raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips in thought. "What is the imp up to these days? Making deals for people's souls, manipulating innocents into do his dirty work again, or has he finally fallen down low enough to actually steal candy from babies?" She smirked at her own joke.

Emma raised her head slightly to answer. "His usual, shady business deals, and tracking down shady business deals from Gold tests the limit of my patience." The older winced when the blonde let her head fall back down with a light thud.

"He's never been known for being easy to deal with," Regina commented more to herself than to her guest. "And I can only imagine what those two idiots are doing. What is the saying? Good intentions paved the road to Hell."

At Emma's grunt of confirmation, Regina nodded and headed to the freezer.

Through the muffling from the counter, the sheriff's voice explained in a tired, listless way, "My parents don't think we should be spending as much time over here as I've agreed to. They have this idea that you're a 'bad' influence on me." She sighed. "We fought."

"I'll fix you a drink," Regina said without an ounce of animosity or teasing in her voice. Many times had she been there and done that. Sometimes, even she could have a moment of sympathy, fleeting as it may be. "I assume something with vodka is fine?"

"Vodka would be wonderful. Thank you." Emma finally sat up, though her shoulders hunched and her face looked drained. It irritated Regina to see the other woman so broken looking. Surprisingly, it angered her that anyone, besides herself of course, would dare to try to break the sheriff down like this.

As she prepared their drinks, she became more and more agitated by what she'd just been told and what she was seeing in Emma's body language. "I'm a bad influence on the Saviour? Really?" She rolled her eyes at the very notion. "Now there's an interesting thought. Not that I claim to be an expert on these things, but isn't the saying 'good always wins?" She was ranting more to herself than to her company, but the sheriff seemed to be listening intently all the same. "I'd hardly call it 'winning' if I am influencing you."

She handed over one drink while she took a sip of her own. "Honestly, Snow has always been one for over exaggeration, even as a child. The simplest of things she could blow into monstrous proportions if she was so of mind, and she would never seem to be in the wrong because her actions were always with 'the best of intentions."

A low growl escaped the back of her throat. "And Gold can die in a fire."

Setting her half empty glass down, she turned to the oven. "I'm going to tend to the steaks. They should be close to done. Go get Henry, and, when you get back, you'll find a long island waiting for you. I suddenly feel the need for something more than just vodka."

"I don't want to talk about it anymore, especially not in front of Henry. You know he believes good always wins, he can't see that sometimes you can't see what the whole truth is." Emma slid from her stool. "Thanks for the drink. I needed it. The food smells delicious. I'll be ruined for microwave food forever." Regina looked up in time to see Emma give her a mischievous smile. "What will I do without my ramen?"

Despite herself, she returned the smile with one of her own. "Reduce your carb intake, I would imagine. Go get Henry so you can watch and learn how to get him to actually tell you what he's doing in school." She began plating their dinner. "Pay very close attention, Sheriff. There will be a quiz afterward," she teased.

She could hear the eyeroll in Emma's voice. "I never did very well with tests. But sure, I'll watch you. If you can get him to tell you something he's doing wrong, I'll eat only healthy things for a week...for lunch." She hesitated for a moment and then added emphatically, "The bear claws stay, though."


	4. September 3rd, After Dinner

**_Chapter Four_**  
**_Sept. 3rd, Tuesday Evening_**  
**_Mayor's House, After Dinner_**

Regina swept into her study, carrying two glasses of wine and smirking. "When you decide which healthy items you'll have for lunch for the next week," she sat down in her preferred chair and handed a glass over to the sheriff, "remember that anything processed or made with sugar is definitely off of the menu."

Emma took the offered wine with a roll of her eyes. "Today is really not my day. I shouldn't have made any bets. I usually know better." She shrugged. "At least it's only for a week. I almost said longer." From behind the rim of her glass, she said in an amused voice, "You win, Regina."

"I do so love hearing those words." The brunette gave a radiant smile, but her moment of victory was quickly clouded over by another thought, and her face fell into a more serious expression. "However, I'm much less pleased to find that Henry's been getting into fights at school. How could you have not known this?" She glared at the blonde. "It doesn't matter who or what he was defending, that is not acceptable."

"I'm not you, Regina." Placing the glass down on a coaster on the coffee table, Emma leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. "I deal with things in my own way. Why didn't the school call me? If it's such a big deal, wouldn't they have called?" She looked to the side, away from Regina, and her face morphed into an annoyed expression, which Regina thought was unjustified.

After all, she was the one that was unaware that Henry was fighting in school, and, as the parent currently responsible for him, Emma should have known what was happening. She frowned as she considered the question posed. Why hadn't the sheriff been notified? Surely, they'd called someone. It seemed odd. "They must have called your apartment. I suggest you talk to your parents about this when you go back tonight." This had the mark of the Charmings all over it. They would keep something like this from Emma to keep her from 'worrying'. Their constant meddling in affairs that had nothing to do with them was getting tiring.

She watched the the sheriff winced, and Regina hoped she was having the same thought about Mary Margaret and David Nolan. " I'll talk to my parents. Can't promise it will be tonight. Things weren't left the best earlier." Sighing, Emma picked her wine up again and took a sip. Regina wondered what had happened between then and now to cause such a heavy sigh. The Charmings normally didn't fight amongst themselves, and, though she couldn't care less if Snow and her Prince Charming were all smiles and laughs, she didn't like the idea that Henry and Emma might not be in a positive situation. She mentally corrected herself. She didn't like Henry being in a negative situation. Yes, of course that's what she meant. "I hope you know that I don't want Henry getting into fights either, but I don't want to tell him that standing up for himself or others is wrong." Regina watched the younger woman's face set into a determined glare. She recognized that look. It was the same look she'd received when Emma first told her she wasn't leaving town. It unsettled her, but she chose not to let that show, and, instead, to see what the other woman was so determined about. "There won't always be someone to step in and protect him. There wasn't for me. Was there for you?"

"No." Regina looked down into her wine glass, swirling the dark liquid around as she reflected on what she really thought should happen in this situation. She honestly wasn't sure what they should do, but she knew what she didn't want to happen. That would have to be enough. "But we're not talking about our past. We're talking about Henry's present, and, right now, he has plenty of people who care about him and can be there to support him."

Emma nodded. "He's a lucky kid."

Finally looking up, Regina said in an almost pleading tone, "Exactly, and I don't want him going through life thinking he has no other option but to fight." It's how she'd lived most of her life, and she was sure it was how Emma Swan had lived most of hers as well. If they were any indication of how living in that that way ended, she didn't want their son to ever follow in their footsteps. He deserved better.

They sat in silence for a time, both thinking over the situation and both unsure of what to do. In a tired voice, Regina finally offered something. They should have a plan of action at the very least. "We need to agree on what we're going to tell him regarding this situation. Standing up for what he believes in or for ones he cares for is fine." She frowned, shoulders actually falling a touch. All too often, the people he cared for were the source of his issues. Well, if she was to be honest, she was often the source of his issues, which was the biggest thing she hated about herself. That was something else to discuss with the cricket on Wednesday. "However, if he gets into a fight every time someone says something derogatory about me, he'll never stop fighting." She let out a small sigh. "Though," she tilted her head in thought, "I must admit, I can't say it doesn't please me to hear he is standing up for me."

"I wasn't surprised Henry stood up for you." Sipping at the wine and using it as an excuse not to actually look at the brunette, Emma commented seriously, "He has before when it came down to it." She rubbed at her face with her free hand as she thought. "It'd be nice if he didn't have to. What do you suggest? Pulling him out of school? You know he'll never get away from the comments about you. Someone could tutor him."

Regina gave an adamant shake of her head. "No, pulling him out will only make things worse for him in the long run. Perhaps we need to explain when and how to choose his battles so that he fights only the battles truly worth fighting?" She really didn't want Henry fighting at all, but, if he must, she wanted it to be for the right reasons. Fighting for her was not a good reason.

"I don't think it would be worse for him in the long run. He wouldn't have to deal with the issue, and he would have a personal teacher." Finishing her drink, the blonde returned the glass to the table with a shrug. "Henry is a smart kid; he would fly past the other students with one on one guidance. If he's already having problems, why hold him back by making it harder?" Regina internally cringed when Emma gave her a sympathetic look. She didn't want the blonde's sympathy. This wasn't about her. It was about Henry. "No one will forget that you raised him till now, and no one will accept that he still has contact with you." The frown on Emma's face deepened. "At least not for a while."

Taking the frown for judgement, Regina snapped back, "Running from his problems will not solve them, Miss Swan." She stood gracefully and began a slow pace around her study as a way of trying to distract herself from her knee-jerk reaction to continue firing insults at the blonde. That would get them nowhere, though she couldn't resist at least one jab. "That is one character trait I'd rather he not pick up from you. He needs to learn how to properly deal with this. As you point out, this will be a never ending issue for him." Stopping, she took a thoughtful sip of wine. "It's best he learns how to handle it appropriately now. You're right when you say he's a smart boy." She gave an approving nod. "He is, and we need to trust in his intelligence that he can learn how to deal with the fact that he's a child of both of us."

Emma held her hands up in a show of innocence. "I'm not saying to run from them. I'm saying to take a break until they blow over." Regina regarded the change in tactics with a cold eye. Taking a break and running were, after all, essentially the same thing. Emma scowled at her reaction. "I don't always run. I'm here, aren't I? I stayed here. He's our son, and I'm sure he'll get all the best and worst." The sheriff dropped her hands to her lap as she considered something. "You know, now that I think about it, we do need to make sure he deals with problems constructively."

Tilting her head in acknowledgment of the unspoken thought the blonde just had, Regina replied in a flat tone, "That is exactly my point." Before she continued on, she finished her wine but kept hold of the empty glass as she began her pacing again. "The idea that he would handle his problems as any of us in his immediate family might is distasteful to me. Surely it must be to you,as well?" Her eyes glazed over in a faraway look as she thought about her father. "Henry was named after a man who had a gentle soul and a good heart, but he was a coward." Swallowing down the lump in her throat, her eyes refocused on the sherrif. "Our son should have both and still know when to stand up and when to fight another day. Now is as good a time as any to begin teaching him that lesson, don't you think?"

"Of course I think this is a good ti…" Emma's jaw dropped. Stunned, she comment with wonder, "You said 'our' son."

Had she? She had, and she'd even started to think in those terms. That would never do. If she gave ground on who Henry belonged to, she would lose what upper hand she still had. She needed to rectify the situation at once, both aloud and mentally. Giving a snort, she replied dryly, "It was a momentary slip of the tongue. I meant my son, of course." She glanced away from the younger woman, crossing her arms over her stomach and turning a bit as she did so. When had she started thinking of Henry as theirs? She didn't like that.

"Of course." The blonde rolled her eyes. "Why would I think otherwise? I was only pointing it out so you didn't slip again." She sighed, and Regina mentally congratulated herself for putting things back to rights. "Wouldn't want anyone to think you were going soft about Henry."

"Perish the thought," the older woman replied dourly. "Another drink?"

Standing up, Emma nodded while holding her glass out, which Regina gently took, cocking her eyebrow as she did so at the fact that the other woman was so quick to take up her offer for another drink. "I'd love one, thanks." The blonde rolled her weight onto her heels and awkwardly shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. "I was thinking, if this week goes well, Henry could just stay Friday night. If he wants to, that is." Regina startled, not able to keep the surprise off of her face. "Since I usually get called away on that night to pick up our regular drunks for disturbing the peace, he'd be staying with my parents anyway…" Easily filling in the blanks the younger woman was leaving, she felt a growing sense of thanks for the offer, which was yet another thing to annoy her. She didn't want this woman's pity, and she certainly didn't want to feel thankful to her, yet here she was feeling both.

Managing to pull herself out shock, Regina answered in an almost steady voice, "So long as Henry is agreeable to it, I don't see a problem with that arrangement."

Emma smiled, "It should be fine. I can swing by sometime after I wake up Saturday to pick him up."


	5. September 4th, Before Dinner

_**Chapter Five**_  
_**Sept. 4th, Wednesday Evening**_  
_**Mayor's House, Before Dinner**_

Regina answered the door and actually took a second to allow the surprise to show on her face. Emma Swan was standing there a full half an hour early, and the brunette was both happy to see her there and confused as to why she was already standing on her doorstep. "Sheriff, you're early today. Isn't that an unexpected surprise?" Regina wasn't going to allow the blonde to know she was happy to see her. That would give away too much. Instead, she tried for neutral with a slight bit of disinterest as she pulled back to allow the other woman to step inside. "Henry hasn't made it from school as of yet, and I haven't even started on dinner." She closed the door and watched with curiosity playing in her eyes as Emma stood to the side, staring at the floor. "It's pork chops, in case you're wondering." When there was still no response, she began to suspect there was truly something wrong. First, the sheriff was early for something, and, second, she wasn't fighting back.

Though it pained her to ask the question, she felt it was the politically sound thing to do. So, with nothing but politeness in her voice, she asked with the respectful intonation only a politician can fake, "Did you have another rough day with your parents and Mr. Gold, dear? You don't quite seem your usual, buoyant self."

She watched as the normally proud and hard headed young woman slouched even more, seeming to pull into herself. "Just my parents." Emma shrugged dejectedly. "Apparently they made plans for this weekend without telling me, and they're mad I won't back out of our arrangement. I told them they could keep the Saturday night plans but apparently 'that's not good enough'. I'm," Regina winced on behalf of the other woman, who had paused as if reflecting on her conversation with her parents, "tired of fighting with everyone. Its draining. Can I just hide out here? I'd like to sleep for a week or three…"

Turning on her heels as a way of giving her time to formulate a response to the somewhat sarcastic question hanging in the air, Regina walked toward the kitchen with Emma following behind. There were a few different directions she could go with this, but it seemed like the perfect opportunity to provide a way to get Henry back at home, even if it meant putting up with someone else in order to have him back. One step at a time, and the first step was to get Henry back in the house on a more regular basis. "I have a guest room, but I don't believe the town, or your parents for that matter, would appreciate the Savior sharing quarters with the Evil Queen." She flipped on the oven to warm up as she spoke nonchalantly. "However, if you were here, then so would be my son. I'm willing to tolerate you for the sake of having Henry home again."

As she began prep on the porkchops, she spoke in a reasoned voice with a hint of challenge. If there was one thing she knew about Emma Swan, it was that the woman rarely backed down from a challenge. She couldn't ask for a better chance than this to get Henry back. "The better question is this, Sheriff. Are you willing to tolerate the belligerence of this town because you're here in my home for the sake of a few nights' of peace?" She looked up to make eye contact to show her sincerity for her next thought. "I have no issue leaving you completely alone, so long as you're not a slob and pull your own weight in cleaning duties." She allowed Emma to fill in the blanks on who else might have problems with what in this arrangement she was proposing.

Much to her surprise, the younger woman chuckled. "We'd probably spark another angry mob." Emma tilted her head in mock thought. "Maybe another time? The actual last thing I need is another mob at your doorstep to placate. I can't even consider a vacation. I'm afraid someone with a fairy-tale land grudge that they're hanging on to will kill someone else out of the blue without my presence to hold them off. And who knows what Gold would get up to if I disappeared into your rooms for a week without coming out? But for the record," again the blonde slouched down, "I want to run. I'll settle for getting raging drunk instead."

It was times like these that reminded Regina of the similarities between the two. She knew that feeling all too well. Too many times she'd wondered if she'd ever be able to get a decent night's sleep again or when the final straw would fall, leaving her literally burning at a stake in the middle of the town's square. She had to admit it was an emotionally draining place to be, and she had a sudden surge of empathy for Emma. "I'd rather Henry not see you 'raging drunk'. In fact, I'd rather not see you raging drunk ." She found she honestly wanted to help the situation, and she didn't know why. However, she knew Archie would have encouraged the behavior she was about show, saying it was a step in the right direction, so she decided to follow through with it even if it wasn't her usual modus operandi. After all, she was trying to be a better person. "Perhaps a compromise? You may come here under the pretense of taking Henry to see me anytime the two idiots become too obnoxious to bear, and I will allow you to be anywhere Henry and I are not while you're here." She couldn't allow everything to be completely agreeable. It simply wasn't in her nature.

Emma snorted. "Why wouldn't you want to see me drunk? I would think that would help your custody plans. I know you only tolerate me because of Henry, despite your offer of a place to go. Or because you hate my parents so much that the thought I'd run away from them to you makes you happy." Regina inclined her head. Now that it was brought up, all of those reasons were equally as good and equally as valid as her own. She was suddenly determined to make this work. "It isn't like you've suddenly decided you want me around. I don't mind when it comes to Henry, but I don't need you to pretend. I get enough of that."

Regina bristled. Here she was actually trying to be a good person, for once, and it gets thrown back in her face. "Despite what you may think, Miss Swan," she spat back, clearly angry, "I wouldn't allow you to be in my home if I didn't want you here. Angering your parents and making the town paranoid is simply an added bonus." She placed the pork chops in the oven and began cleaning up so she could start on the sides.

There was a long pause before the blonde responded in a truly bewildered tone, "That may be the nicest thing you've said to me. I'm touched." Regina looked up in time to see Emma sit a bit straighter and shoot her a smirk. Despite herself, she returned it. "Guess I'll postpone the drinking plans, in honor of our new," the sheriff gave it a second of mock thought, "thing."

The moment ruined, Regina rolled her eyes. "It is not a thing. It is an agreement that works in both of our favors. I have time with my son, and you have an opportunity to get away from that insufferable 'I will always find you' nonsense." She scrunched her face up in disgust.

"Fine. It isn't a thing." The tone of the reply took Regina by surprise. As far as she could tell, she and the sheriff were having a normal moment of banter, but the vitriol that came back at her wasn't normal at all. "You know, you enjoy those pork chops with Henry tonight." She watched in confusion as Emma slid from the stool she'd been sitting on and headed for the exit. "I'm going to go.. do something."

Before Regina could say another word to stop her, Emma left, slamming the front door behind her.


	6. September 5th, After Henry's Left

_**Chapter Six**_  
_**Sept. 5th, Thursday Morning**_  
_**Mayor's House, After Henry Has Gone to School**_

The sound of knocking at her front door both surprised and annoyed Regina. There was only one person it could be, and she wasn't sure she really wanted to deal with them after the night she'd had with Henry. Trying to convince him that she hadn't run Emma off on purpose had taken hours, and it'd taken even longer to assure him that Emma hadn't abandoned him, either. Regina was so angry with the sheriff for putting her in that position that she wasn't sure if she wanted to throw a punch at her or tell her to leave and never return.

So, when she opened the door to see an extremely cheerful young blonde greet her with a quick list of chirpy questions, she had a hard time not slamming the door in her face.

"Good morning! How was your evening and morning with Henry? Did you make him do all of his homework before having any fun? Tell me you at least had ice cream, right? After all, that's what...you know, never mind on that one." Emma smiled brightly at her.

For her part, Regina scowled and bit back the long string of curses and accusations she wanted to say. Instead, she opted for a very cold reply. "It's 9 in the morning, Miss Swan. Where have you been?" Her anger was rising with each word. She'd spent half the night wondering where this woman was. She didn't answer her phone, didn't respond to text messages, and hadn't bothered to tell her that she wouldn't be back until the next day. "Henry was worried sick. I barely got him to finish his homework last night, and he refused to go to bed at a reasonable hour. We'll be lucky if he doesn't sleep through his classes today."

Though her voice remained low, the intensity left no doubt at exactly how angry she truly was. "I understand you were having an unfortunate evening, but that doesn't excuse you from the responsibilities you've decided to take on. If you're going to go galavanting around town doing God only knows what as if you're 25 again, then you need to at least call to let us know you're going to stay out and that you're okay." She had half a mind to call in the favor she had with Eugenia and go out looking for Emma herself. "You had us…" Her jaw snapped close. No, that wasn't what she wanted to say. She didn't need the other woman to know how worried she was. That would never do. It was a sign of weakness. "Henry, you had Henry worried sick."

Emma was clearly taken aback. "Well," Regina continued to seethe and remained blocking the entrance while the sheriff searched for the right words. "I'm sorry. I'll find a way to make it up to Henry, since he was so worried about me. Thanks for taking care of him. I'll make that up to you." They were the wrong words. Regina's muscles tensed with the effort not to lunge forward and slap some sense into the woman standing in front of her. Of course she would take care of their son. Her son, she mentally corrected again, causing her to become even angrier because she kept mentally giving parental rights to this obviously incompetent woman.

"I was just out walking through the woods, you know. There was no gallivanting. I didn't even drink, I swear." Regina watched without an ounce of expression in her face or eyes as Emma held her hands out in a show of innocence.

The woods? The older woman's posture straightened even more. What kind of idiotic person goes into the woods around the town at night. There were all kinds of dangers there, now more especially because the curse had broken. Magical creatures lived in those woods, and Emma had no idea how to defend herself from their attacks. What if something had happened to her? "The woods around here are dangerous at night, Sheriff." She narrowed her eyes. "What would I have told Henry if you'd gotten hurt by a wolf? Really, is it so difficult for you to be responsible?" Was it? Would it have been so hard to call, to email, to text? Anything to let them know things were fine?

She took in a calming breath and mentally counted to ten, as Hopper had taught her. Continuing to berate Emma wasn't getting her any closer to her goal of getting Henry back home. As she calmed, her expression softened, and a small amount of honest worry crept into her eyes. She didn't bother to try to hide it. Even though it was honest concern, it could easily serve the purpose of touching on Emma's habit of trying to soothe frazzled nerves. "You may make it up to me by picking Henry up and being on time for dinner tonight, and expect to spend the night." She felt assured that would clench it. If she didn't give the sheriff the chance to decline and added in the addition of guilting her because she'd been worried for most of the night, there was no way the blonde would tell her she wouldn't spend the night, which meant Henry would stay, too. "The guest room has been made. I'll not have Henry wondering where you are and if you're safe, and it's clear you need away from those two idiots for a while."

As soon as she mentioned them, Regina thought about the pressure and expectations Snow and Charming were likely placing upon their daughter, and her need to shift around the chess pieces in the game she was playing to get Henry back faded away. She once again felt herself empathizing, and she wanted to fix it. If there was anyone in town who understood how trying those two could be, it was she. If Emma was so desperate for a respite from them that she'd leave Henry without word of where she was going, things were likely getting fairly difficult. Regina couldn't have Emma disappearing like that again. It'd been too stressful for her and Henry. "The town be damned, and, if that means I have to tolerate you to keep you from running around like the Dark Knight and leaving Henry half sick with worry, then so be it, but I'll not have you causing even more trauma to our son just because you can't stand your parents' company."

She saw Emma smile just a touch, and added for effect a roll of her own eyes as she muttered half jokingly, "Not that I don't sympathize, goodness knows."

She knew, and so did Emma. It was one of a growing list of things they had in common that Regina hated to admit. In fact, she didn't even want to think about it. Instead, she shifted the conversation back to things that actually mattered in the present. "Speaking of, they called me at 10:30 last night and demanded I bring Henry back to their tiny excuse for an apartment. He was already asleep, and I refused to wake him up just to make them happy. If you haven't been home yet, I suggest you go in armed." She shot the other woman a look that screamed she wasn't sorry in the least. "There may have been some words between me and Ms. Blanchard regarding you, Henry, and our current arrangement."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I can handle myself fine, Regina. Not like there are ogres and trolls here near Storybrooke. If I can take care of the lowlifes that ditch on their bail, and a drunken Leroy, I think I'll be alright." Regina blinked at that. She hadn't known all of what Emma had faced while in the Enchanted Forest. She'd heard stories through the grapevine, of course, and she knew about Hook and Cora, but this was new information to her. She frowned. It was a miracle the blonde had made it to the portal in once piece.

"Well, I might as well go all in now that you riled up my parents. Can I stay," shifting uncomfortably, Emma stuffed her hands in her back pockets and looked down at her boots, "a while? Words may be exchanged when I see them today, and I might need a place to crash."

That question was unexpected but not unwelcomed. In fact, the idea of Emma staying was starting to become very appealing, but, for the life of her, Regina had no idea why. She didn't want to think about.

Standing back, she motioned for Emma to finally come in. After closing and locking the door, she made her way through the house to the kitchen with Emma, as always, following behind. "Stay as long as you like so long as Henry is here with you." She poured two glasses of iced tea, handed one to the other woman, and then walked out to the back porch. "However, if you plan to have an extended stay," she sat in one of the pristinely clean chairs and watched Emma do the same, "I insist you bring Henry's belongings back home so that he's comfortable, and" she took a sip of tea while she studied the young woman. Emma sipped at her drink and glanced around the yard with nervous eyes. Regina had a hard time deciding if the nervousness was from having to go see her parents soon or from sitting with her now. Either way, she had to admit that a nervous Emma Swan was a touch endearing.

Clearing her throat to cover up her near choke on the thought of Emma as endearing, she continued on in a slightly hoarse voice, "I suppose, you should bring some of your own belongings as well. I'm not here to be your source of entertainment, so I'll expect you to bring whatever it is that you use for entertainment." She decided to test the waters and see exactly how well the other woman was feeling today. "What is that now days? The TV Guide?"

"You mean I can't spend my days pestering you with questions? Shock and awe. I'm sure I'll manage something to keep myself entertained; I'm not five." Regina's smiled beamed. There was the banter she was accustomed to, and there was the Emma Swan she enjoyed having around.

"You could have fooled me." She gave a little shrug. "It's settled, then. Why don't you go do whatever is that you do as sheriff, and I'll pick Henry up from school today? That should prove to be interesting if Ms. Blanchard is actually working again." The thought occurred to her that, if someone was recording that meeting, they could stand to make some money for people who missed it and wanted to see it.

Her preference would be to avoid the pixie haired brunette altogether, but, of course, that probably wasn't going to happen. If she were Emma, she'd take this chance to pack while both of her parents weren't around to be nosey. "In between the piles of work you have as sheriff, now might also be a good time to pack Henry's belongings." Let it not be said that she never made honestly helpful suggestions. "There's a spare key by the door to my house. Take it. You can bring the items at any time, but do bring them before you have words with your parents." She huffed, taking another sip of tea before adding over the rim of her glass, "The last thing we need is for them to hold Henry's stuffed dragon hostage."

Emma glared at her from behind her glass of tea. "Someday," her lowered voice actually made Regina shiver a bit, which unsettled the brunette greatly, " you should follow me around for the day. I do more for this town than you think I do," Regina gave her an 'oh, really' face, eyes dancing with unspoken jibs. For a moment, she thought the sheriff would bite, but, instead, she said in a frustrated tone, "It takes a lot to keep the peace...surprisingly." Emma rolled her eyes. "You would think being a bunch of fairy tale characters in a strange land would create bonding, but no." Regina had to admit, she had a point, and she inclined her head to acknowledge that.

"I was their queen for many years and their mayor for many years after that, Sheriff." The very thought of how old she actually was made the brunette internally cringe. There were too many years involved in that statement. " I know exactly how much management this town and these people require. In fact, I much prefer the politics I had to deal with as mayor to the land disputes and other squabbles I had to endure as their queen. Not that any of this matters, of course." She shrugged and shook her glass to retrieve an icecube to chew on.

Emma watched her for a moment, seeming to consider a question before clearly changing her mind and the subject. "I'll get Henry's things and my own. Maybe a return to how things were would be better for the kid anyway? And I can live anywhere, especially anywhere that doesn't involve me walking in on my parents." That thought had also never occurred to Regina and the mental picture actually made her gag a little on the last of her tea. She coughed a few times to try to clear her throat.

The moment didn't go unnoticed by her guest, but Emma was apparently on a roll. "And for the record, they aren't terrible. They aren't going to hold Henry's things hostage, you know." Regina waved off the concerned look being given to her, and Emma shrugged.

As the brunette's coughing spell came to an end, the younger woman seemed to have gone off somewhere else mentally. When she finally spoke, her voice was distant, and her eyes glazed over with memories. "But I've been too old for parents since I was," her face had fallen into some part of sadness that Regina had seen only a handful of times, and the guilt that she was responsible for that sadness hit her hard. That had never happened before, either, and Regina had no idea how to handle it, so she remained quiet as Emma continued to talk. "Well I can't even remember. Ten, maybe?" Regina closed her eyes against the feelings she saw on the other woman's face. Guilt was not something she was accustomed to feeling, and she wanted to shy away from it.

Her preference was to push those feelings away and act as though nothing was really wrong. She was a master at that. So, with a great amount of mental effort, she forced herself back into her politically cordial state before she turned back Emma. "I'll see you at 6:30 tonight for dinner." She stood up, waiting until the other woman did as well, before she walked back inside with Emma following. "Don't be late," she added with small smile on her face.

She felt almost relieved when the younger woman brushed her off with her normal bravado. "I'm never late." Emma smiled with mischief playing in her eyes. "I'm early for next time!"

Regina took a second to marvel at the woman's resilience before rolling her eyes and walking her to the front door.


	7. September 5th, Before Dinner

_**Chapter Seven**_  
_**Sept. 5th, Thursday Evening**_  
_**Mayor's House, Before Dinner**_

Regina turned around in the kitchen and nearly dropped the pan she was holding. Emma Swan stood on the other side of the island with a look that screamed of tired. "Miss Swan," much to her personal irritation, her voice wasn't as steady as she'd have preferred, but the sheriff had scared the sense almost out of her, "you're late, and, before you tell me otherwise, it is 7 in the evening. Henry and I have already eaten. I've put some…" She stopped talking for a moment. Emma wasn't responding to the usual jibes, and she suddenly realized that something was, in fact, very off. "You look awful. What happened? Cat fight with your mother, dear?" As soon as she said the words, she mentally berated herself. This was not the way to win people over and gain favors.

"You couldn't wait? No, of course you couldn't wait. How could I expect our perfectly punctual princess to hold off to see if I'd show up?" The harshness in Emma's words completely threw Regina. Since when did anyone call her 'princess', and what on earth had happened to make the sheriff this level of upset? Whatever it was, now was clearly not the time to continue with the normal line of insults if she were to win the younger woman over in order to get Henry back full time.

"Here," with a grunt, Emma dropped a large bag onto the island. "Henry's things that you were so concerned about. Including one stuffed dragon." Regina watched as the other woman violently pushed the bag toward her and turned toward the back door. "I'm not hungry. I'll be out back."

Princess? Her mind was still caught on the unusual title when the back door slammed shut. With a huff, she quickly placed the pan down and headed outside. "Queen," she corrected in an authoritative tone. "I haven't been a princess in a very long time." Emma plopped down in one of the chairs and crossed her arms. Regina followed, gracefully sitting in the other as she carefully eyed the young woman. "That aside, you can't expect me to wait on you. How was I to know when you'd actually get here? Between your job and your parents, if you don't call, then I have to assume the worst." Had they not just been over this the day before? "Henry has school tomorrow. He needed to eat so he could do his homework."

It was hard to argue her points, and she knew it. After a few moments of tense silence, she finally decided the best course of action to resolving the current situation was to find out what had started it. "What has you so riled? I thought you were going to bring your and Henry's things earlier today. Speaking of, where are yours? I know you don't have much, but I honestly thought it was more than what was on your back,." She really couldn't help herself. There was something about the blonde that compelled Regina to pick at her.

"What's the worst you assume, Regina? Is it that I'm so terrible that I wouldn't show up? Or is it that something has actually happened to me?" She watched with an almost bewildered look as Emma crossed her arms and glared at her. This was not the woman the brunette was accustomed to dealing with, and Emma's radiating and undirected anger was confusing. "I'd really like to know whether you're worried about me, or if you simply think I don't care about Henry at all."

The truth was, Regina wasn't actually sure anymore. There was a time when the answer would have been the former, but she was starting to accept she actually cared what happened to the blonde, which made her accusation that she didn't care sting quite a bit. There it was again, that feeling Regina didn't want to think about. What's more, she didn't appreciate the other woman's tone in her last sentence, or her gall. How dare she snap at her like that? It wasn't her fault the sheriff was late. "Do not redirect your anger for your parents toward me, Miss Swan. I will accept only the anger which I actually deserve. Whatever's happened tonight is none of my doing. Now, you may either tell me about it or don't, but do not presume that it is acceptable to vomit your ill temper onto me."

Crossing her arms over her chest, she leaned back in her chair and looked over the woman beside her, matching the sheriff's body language. Emma was visibly frustrated, and she looked as though she was torn between hitting something, screaming, and possibly crying. Something had most certainly happened, and, whatever it was, Regina was truly angry that it was causing Emma this level of distress. "Honestly. What have those two idiots done this time?"

"Can't you guess? You know in your world there are sides. You can't be on both sides. You can't be in bed with good and evil. And a whole host of other things that I'm not supposed to do since I'm the savior of everyone." There were too many things regarding this woman that simply had not occurred to Regina, but this should have and hadn't. Of course the Charmings would make this as difficult as possible. That shouldn't have come as a surprise. What was surprising was the fact that their daughter was sitting on her back porch instead of in their cramped apartment right now.

"My things are in the car." Emma was pulling herself back together, though Regina was concerned that it might not last. The blonde was clearly under more pressure than the older woman realized. "And no. I don't have a lot of them."

"I warned you that it wouldn't be easy." Regina's words lacked bite. She didn't want to chastise. Yet again, she felt compelled to make it better, but this time time she didn't try to fight the urge. She completely understood what it was like to be pulled in too many different directions. Her sessions with Hopper had taught her what happens when those feeling overwhelm a person, and she truly didn't want to see that happen here. She chose not to question why. "However, I am surprised they're making things this difficult, especially for you. I… I am sorry." And she was. She didn't want to create more trouble. She just wanted her son back. She thought she'd started something that would be quiet and subversive. She was clearly wrong. "I thought that, by now, this world and it's views of good and evil might have given a little grey coloring to your parents' views of things."

Standing, she walked the short distance to the back door, and offered in a tired voice, filled with disappointment in the current situation, "There's lasagna warming in the oven and a glass of wine on the counter for you. I'll take Henry's things and put them up." She began to step inside, "Have a good evening, Miss Swan."

"Regina," Emma's voice stopped her, and she turned back around to see the other woman staring straight ahead into the darkness. "Whatever my parents do, whatever they say," she stopped talking again, and the wind whipped up for a moment, causing the apple tree to shake a bit. Had the conversation not been so intense, Regina would have found the night pleasant. Instead, she waited with baited breath to see what the other woman would say next.

Finally, the young woman softly spoke above the rustling of the tree's leaves. "It doesn't change anything about what I agreed to. I chose to be here. They can have their 'I will always find you' nonsense and their 'good will always win' and their 'true love'. I make my own choices. I want to be here. I…" Regina watched in fascination as Emma finally turned around to look at her. The light streaming in from the open back door highlighted her where she sat in the chair, and the brunette found herself taken with picturesque nature of what she was seeing before her. She almost missed the rest of the comment, but, when her mind clicked back in, the words were enough to send her back into shock, "wanted to be here with you and Henry. Even if that means they're angry at me. Even if that means I'm going to be also pissed off for a while."

Regina gave a slow blink. Did Emma Swan really say that? Had that actually happened? Who chooses to stay with someone like herself? How does that even happen? Emma stood, moving in front of her and taking control of the door. "Stay. Alright?" She moved around Regina, closing the door with a soft click.

"Alright." Too stunned to say anything else, Regina started to follow Emma back to their seats before she stopped herself. Things were becoming too intense for her in that moment, and she needed to step away for a bit before she found herself even more sympathetic to Emma's needs. "Why don't you step inside and take the plate in the warmer out? Take the wine with you, too, and come back out here. I'll be back in a moment." She let her gaze roam out over her backyard. "It's a lovely evening, and the company would be nice to have, for a change." She shook her head, unable to believe she'd let that thought slip by. "The plate shouldn't be too hot for you to carry." At Emma's cross look, she explained calmly, "You need to eat, Sheriff. I need to take care of something before I join you. I won't be long."

Much to her relief, the blonde nodded in agreement. "You could at least call me Emma. I'll see you when you get back."

As Regina stepped into the house, leaving the blonde to gather the food in the kitchen as she pleased, she thought to herself that the last thing she wanted to do was call the young woman by her first name. Things were already becoming far more intimate between the two of them than Regina had really wanted. She had no desire to make them even more so and risk some sort of weakness getting in the way of her end goals.


	8. September 6th, Kitchen

_**Chapter Eight**_  
_**Sept. 6th, Friday Morning**_  
_**Mayor's House, Kitchen**_

Having not been able to sleep very well the night before, Regina had finally given up around 4:30 in the morning, gotten up, done a little yoga in the basement, and then taken a shower and dressed. By that time, it was around 6:15 in the morning, and she decided that coffee was in order. As she began to grind the beans and heat the water, she allowed herself to look out her kitchen window and daydream just a bit.

The house was wonderfully peaceful for the first time in months. She had come close to tripping over Henry's backpack when she'd gone downstairs initially, and it had been the most wonderfully frustrating thing she felt she'd ever experienced. There was a sense of normality that hadn't been in her life in so long that she realized she'd forgotten what it felt like to have him at home.

She poured the coffee into her French press and added water. While the brew steeped, she smiled to herself. She'd also come close to tripping over Emma Swan's tacky red leather jacket where it had fallen on the floor beside the coat rack at the front door. Regina had gone to get the morning paper and had nearly collided nose first with the front door knob. She wanted to be angry about it, but she couldn't seem to find it within her. She was too pleased to know the blonde had stayed the night, and the evening they'd had once Emma had calmed down the night before had been oddly pleasant. They'd spoken about nothing of consequence. There was a little town gossip around Belle and Ruby Lucas, discussion on a few television shows they both watched, and some talk of town business, which Regina was rather grateful to hear. She missed her job.

It wasn't, of course, that she was happy the blonde was staying in her home. That couldn't be it because that would mean other things that simply couldn't be true. However, having her there meant Henry was there, and that did make Regina happy. She nodded to herself. Yes, having Henry home was a good thing.

A shuffling noise behind her alerted her to her guest. She checked the time. Without turning around from her station in front of the window above the sink, she said in a quiet and almost playful voice, "It's 6:30 in the morning. I'm very surprised to see you know what this time of the morning looks like." She turned and nodded her head toward the press. "Coffee?"

Regina watched with an amused expression playing in her eyes as Emma managed something close to sentences. "Mmm. Coffee. Pancakes. No sleep. Require sugary goodness in my veins. Provide. Waffles acceptable. Henry?"

Of course the younger woman would demand sugar and caffeine, the brunette thought with a disapproving look. Did she ever eat anything healthy. "I'm not Ruby Lucas," she said in a matter-of-fact yet lighthearted manner. "If you want something more than the omelet I'm about to make, you may make it yourself so long as you don't burn the house down or make a mess." She poured coffee for each of them, handed a mug over, and began preparations for breakfast. "Henry is still asleep. He'll be up in about thirty minutes."

She was halfway through making the omelets when it occurred to her that Emma had said that she, too, hadn't slept well. That seemed odd. She could barely keep her eyes open when they had parted ways the night before to go to bed. "Why didn't you sleep? Is there something wrong with my guest bed?" She looked up from her work, noticing the blonde was still in her clothes from the day before. "And did you attempt to sleep in your clothes? Is this a thing with you, Miss Swan. You know, they do make clothes specifically for the purpose of sleeping?"

"No, there's nothing wrong with your guest bed, Regina. It's perfect, like everything else." The brunette smirked at that. It was nice to know someone noticed these things. "And yes, I barely slept in my clothes. I usually sleep either naked, or nearly. I mean, I've opened the door to you before in my 'pyjamas'." That comment received the eye roll it deserved. If the sheriff was trying to scandalize her, she would have to do better than that. She shrugged at the other woman as she poured the omelet mixture into the heated pan. "Also, no one could ever mistake you for Ruby Lucas. You have different...assets."

That comment caught Regina off guard and she fumbled her spatula for a quick second. Emma Swan was paying notice to her 'assets'? Despite herself, Regina could feel a blush creeping up her neck, and she hated herself for that. Why was she blushing for a crass and overly bearing blonde? Frustrated at herself for her own reaction, the brunette chose to act as if nothing bizarre was happening and chose to respond in the best apathetic voice she could muster while feeling flustered, "Since it's early, I think I'll let that last comment slide, Miss Swan. However, I won't let the pajamas comment slide. There is absolutely no way you sleep in the nude or nearly while staying in the same loft as your parents and Henry. I would expect that even you show more modesty than that in that situation."

She glanced up in time to see Emma cross her arms and give a little pout. "You're always ruining all my fun." She raised an eyebrow at the protest and went back to tending to the omelets. "Believe what you wish about my sleeping attire, I'll show you. Just be careful should you decide to wander in in the middle of the night. You may see more than you bargained for." Was that an offer, a dare, or a test? Either way, Regina wasn't falling for it.

"There is absolutely no reason, short of another angry mob at my door, that I would wander anywhere near you when you're in your 'sleeping attire'. If I didn't know any better, Miss Swan, I'd say you were trying to irritate me." She ignored the other woman, plating the omelets with the finesse of a well practiced chef.

"No matter. Henry will be up soon. If you're planning to take him to school today, I suggest you get ready before he comes down for breakfast. If you wish for a fight to break out at school this morning, then do nothing. However, I will say that Ms. Blanchard was less than thrilled to see me yesterday when I picked Henry up from school." That was an understatement. Mary Margaret had come close to pulling out a bow and arrow and shooting Regina on the spot. Had Henry not been honestly content to go with her, Regina was sure some sort of physical altercation would have taken place.

"Oh, you know I would never try to irritate you, Regina. It's nice to know you consider me your protector, though. Must be a thing with knights and queens." Emma winked at her.

Regina did not find the humor. If there was one thing time had proven, it was that she didn't need nor want anyone fighting her battles for her. "Never mind. I'll drop Henry off myself."

White knight? Emma was no more a knight than Regina was. The title simply didn't apply. Knights are honor bound based on their voluntary sworn oaths. Emma hadn't volunteered for anything, except to remain in Storybrooke when Regina would rather she had left. "You know, I've never liked that title applied to you. To be a knight, you must pledge your fealty to the king or queen. The only thing I've ever seen you pledge your fealty to is a bottle of beer, and that was before the curse was broken and during your all too short living arrangement in that death trap of a car." Damn Mary Margaret for offering a place for Emma to stay.

"Oh, don't be mad. I'll drop him off." Too late. Regina could already feel her ire rising. "I'm not sure that you don't like it because I don't pledge fealty to you, or because you don't believe I can. I mean, I suppose pissing off the whole town because I chose to be here with you instead of turning my back like everyone else isn't enough, right? I mean, I'm here for Henry because I love Henry. But I'm not just here for Henry. I mean, yeah, I can't stand you sometimes," Emma pursed her lips in thought and corrected, "Most of the time." She grunted. "Eighty percent of the time, Regina, but then there's that twenty percent or more of me…" The brunette was two seconds from launching into a tirade about how much she had no desire for anyone to pledge their fealty to her that had no true desire to be loyal to her because she didn't want anyone in her life that was there for some ulterior motive and how much it infuriated her that the sheriff would even joke about such a serious thing as pledging one's fealty to their queen when Emma cut her off before she could start. "You know, I think it's too early for this. I'm going to get Henry up."

Before the former queen could get another word in, Emma was out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Regina threw the towel in her hands across the room and gave a silent scream. She didn't want this, whatever it was. She didn't want this woman in her life. She wanted her son back. That's all. She had no desire to have Emma Swan messing around with her emotions like this.


	9. September 6th, Sheriff's Station

_**Chapter Nine**_  
_**Sept. 6th, Friday Afternoon**_  
_**Sheriff's Station**_

Even as she stepped out of her Mercedes and headed toward the front of the Sheriff's station, she couldn't believe she was doing this. She wasn't even sure why she was doing it. Certainly Henry needed to have his lunch, but Emma Swan could most definitely fend for herself. She had for nearly thirty years. Regina had no idea why she felt so compelled to do this thing, yet here she was, walking into the sheriff's station, and headed toward Sheriff Swan's office with an air of confidence and indifference she did not feel in the slightest. In fact, it was just the opposite, which made her little side trip here all the worse.

She hated herself for doing this even as she stopped in front of the blonde's desk and dropped a brown paper lunch bag beside a pile of folders. "Hello, Sheriff. I noticed you forgot the lunch I left out for you. I set it next to Henry's, which I just dropped at school so he'd have it there in a few moments when his lunch period starts. Since I was going around town dropping things off, I thought I'd drop yours off as well." At the young woman's raised eyebrow, she rolled her eyes. It wasn't as if she was here to poison her… again. She was simply bringing her lunch to her. Was that so suspicious?

She almost visibly winced at her internal question. She didn't need anyone outside of her own internal voice to answer that question.

"You," it was clear her actions had shocked the other woman, who stumbled through her words, "made me lunch? What do you want?"

With a sigh, Regina explained in her best indifferent voice, "It's chicken Ceasar salad with a side of cocoa roasted almonds for dessert, and, to make up for the healthy choice in salad, I've brought you a soda from Granny's." She set the the drink down next to the bagged lunch with a definitive thud.

She watched with barely hidden amusement as the blonde's eyes lit up. "You brought me a soda!? Who are you, and what have you done with the real Regina? I didn't think those bags on the counter were for us." She shot Emma a cross look, which seemed to cowl the other woman a bit. "I mean," the younger woman self corrected, much as Henry used to do, "thank you."

At that, the brunette finally allowed a smile to grace her face, though it was small. "You're welcome. Next time, you'll know, and, for what it's worth," this time the uncertainty in her words was evident. She'd been thinking about their conversation from the night prior since she awoke this morning, and it had bothered her. She felt the need to explain, and now, with the other woman sitting before her with wide, surprised eyes and a half smile on her face, Regina found the words she'd been thinking simply tumbled from her lips of their own accord, "I never liked that title applied to you because a knight chooses to be a knight. You never chose. It seemed inappropriate."

Shocked by her own random admission, she decided to leave before something else was revealed she'd rather not have been. Abruptly, she added, "I'll see you for dinner tonight. Please pick Henry up. Dinner is at 6:30. Please try not to be late."

As she turned on her high heels to leave the station, she heard a confused sounding sheriff reply back, "I...okay. We'll be there." As the door closed behind her, she heard Emma yell out loudly, "And on time!"

The small smile on her face remained for a few minutes after she'd gotten into her car and began the drive back to her house.


	10. September 6th, Before Dinner

_**Chapter Ten**_  
_**Sept. 6th, Friday Evening**_  
_**Mayor's House, Before Dinner**_

Not having a job hadn't slowed Regina down much. She had managed to find quite a bit to keep her occupied, and, now that her house had someone in it other than just her, she had even more to tend to.

After sending Henry to school and shooing Emma out the door to be at work on time, for a change, she had found she actually wanted to do things again as opposed to simply going through the motions. She left the house shortly after the sheriff, dropped off the dry cleaning she had been putting off for weeks, swung by the mechanics to have her car's tires rotated and balanced, and taken some time to stop by the library to read up on a few additional cooking tips and recipes she thought she might want to try out soon.

As she was pulling into her driveway, her mind was racing with what she might cook for dinner when she saw the trademark yellow, beat up bug sitting in the extra parking space that rarely, if ever, was used. She raised an eyebrow at it as she got out of her car and proceeded to walk around the vehicle she had long ago dubbed a deathtrap.

She would never admit it aloud, but she had developed a grudging appreciation for the thing. It was distinctive, clearly dependable, and, like its owner, could take a beating and keep going. She chuckled at the thought of comparing the beetle to the sheriff. She had to admit, much like its owner, the yellow Volkswagen never seemed to fit in anywhere it was parked. It was always the messy, bright, undeniable flash of different in a sea of vehicles that were all shades of dull, faded colors with similar body styles and indistinct markings.

Regina took in a deep breath and looked between the two cars. Shaking her head, she let the thought that the two didn't look so bad side-by-side slip through her mind before she turned and walked into her home.

She went through the house, finding Henry steadfastly working on his homework in the study and the blonde sitting in the kitchen at the island nursing a glass of water as she sat on what was quickly becoming Emma's stool.

Giving a little smirk, Regina commented in a slightly playful tone, "Not just on time, but early, and I see you've already gotten Henry started on his homework for tonight. What set this sequence of responsible events into action, Sheriff?" She turned her attention to getting dinner started, but kept an ear trained toward the other woman, who seemed extremely happy.

"I had a good afternoon. Here," The brunette looked up to see Emma push a box with 'Granny's Diner' stamped across the top toward her, "I picked up dessert. Sorry I forgot the last few times. Forgive me?"

Had she? Regina hadn't realized the desserts had stopped coming. There was simply too much going on to bother with caring about that portion of their agreement falling through the cracks, but, nevertheless, she was pleased to see Emma had remembered. She considered leveraging the fact the younger woman had reneged on a part of their agreement, but she found she didn't want to. All she really wanted to do was make dinner.

"Help cut up the vegetables for the salad, and all will be forgiven, Miss Swan." She laid out the needed items to make the salad in front of the other woman. "Tell me, what made this day so extraordinary compared to the others? The last time I saw you this chipper, someone had given you a bear claw and a fresh cup of coffee." Of course, nothing said she still couldn't goad the sheriff about other things.

"Two salads in one day?" She couldn't help it. The overdramatics were cute, and she found herself smiling at it. "Are you trying to make me wither away to nothing? I need sugar! I need unhealthy things! I need...this turnover over here, hello…" With a roll of her eyes, she allowed Emma to snag the last turnover sitting on the island in a container. She could always make more, but she really needed the salad finished, which apparently necessitated getting a bit more serious. So, with some effort, she forced the grin off of her face and shot Emma her best no-nonsense-get-this-done-now look. It apparently worked. "I take it all back." Regina nodded as the blonde backed off of the turnover. "Hand me that cucumber. My day was wonderful because I got in a nap." She narrowed her eyes. Of course the sheriff was sleeping on the job. "At lunch!" Right, 'at lunch'; she snorted but kept working. "Its amazing what a nap can do for the soul."

Regina wouldn't know. She hardly ever napped, and, if the townsfolk were to be believed, she was as soulless as they came. "I'll take your word for it." She was so tired of that particular fight. If she were honest with herself, she was tired of the town, the drama, and the rest of the mess she had managed to create for herself. Nothing was as it should have been, and there so little that gave her joy these days that she'd stopped even trying to find things to make her so much as smirk, which is why Emma's presence was starting to surprise her so much.

The blonde not only made her smirk, she made her smile… and laugh… often. It was so strange and unexpected, yet there it was. The woman who had destroyed everything was the most charming person she'd met, no pun or sarcasm intended, and she was starting to not hate it. In fact, she found she liked doing little niceties to throw the blonde off her game. "You know," she said with warmth in her voice, "there's nothing wrong with that turnover." There wasn't. It was relatively fresh, and the blonde would probably enjoy it. "It's cherry, for the record, and, while we're on the subject of food, the salad is a side salad. We're having pecan encrusted tilapia for dinner tonight. I assume you have nothing against that, do you?"

"Come off it, Regina." The tone coming from Emma was harsh. It make Regina mentally retract a bit of what she had been thinking. Why was she being nice to this woman? "I was saying I wanted to eat the turnover. If you were going to kill me, I think you would have had plenty of opportunity in the past few days," or right now, Regina mused. "especially with all of the food I've eaten here. I feel like I've eaten more here than I did the entire time I lived in Boston." She looked back up from her work and scowled. Did Emma Swan ever eat?

"I have nothing against fish. I'm allergic to peaches though." Wasn't that an interesting tidbit to learn? She marked that down in her mental notes with a small nod of her head. "Please don't try to kill me with peaches." Narrowing her eyes and setting her jaw, Regina opened her mouth to counter, but was cut off by a quickly added, "That's a joke. The killing me part," she watched Emma wince and squirm a bit on her stool "not the allergy part."

The blonde being uncomfortable wasn't enough. How dare she even joke about that? After everything they had all been through, the last thing she would ever be open to 'joking' about was poisoning a member of the Charming family. She was done with that. She had promised Henry she would stop. How dare Miss Swan even think it was fine to make light of such a serious and...

"Haven't you ever taken a nap?" Regina snapped out of her mental rant and blinked a few times. She finally shook her head and tried to follow the question Emma had just asked.

"I'm not a nap person," she answered in a quiet, measured tone. "There's too much to do during the day to sleep it away."

She looked down to her work again and let out a war weary sigh. In truth, she felt she was getting too old to continue this fight anyway. With a heaviness to her voice that she couldn't shake, she answered weakly, "I simply thought you'd like to know the type of turnover you were drooling over. Call me overly conscience of our situation, but I assumed apple was out of the question. But, if you don't mind, I am fond of apples and would much prefer to bake with them." She kept her head down and her eyes on her work, not wanting to give away exactly how agitated and depressing this conversation was starting to be for her. It wouldn't do to show all of her weaknesses, even if some were slipping by despite her best efforts to the contrary.

"Is there anything you can't cook?" Much to her surprise, Emma sounded awed instead of displeased or irritated. "Also you should probably ask Henry about the apples. He's probably going to be more hung up about it than me. I get over things quickly. You have to, when you move on as much as...well, me."

Regina again looked up to see the blonde was more-or-less expressionless, though her eyes spoke of some unspoken sadness. She recognized that look. She often saw it in the mirror. There was yet another thing to add to the list of similarities. She forced a small smile on her face, speaking in a lighter, though no less heavy tone, "The last time I checked, Sheriff, it's been nearly 3 years since your last move, and, yes, there are a few things I have yet to master. However, when you've had nearly 30 years of free time, you tend to master quite a bit. As you well know, I don't like to stay idle."

She shot a smug look to Emma, who was staring out the window with a hazy look in her eyes, "The last time I checked," the young woman said in a thoughtful tone, "I wasn't thinking about how long it's been since I moved last, because it tends to make me want to move."

They were starting to head down a different path with this conversation, and it wasn't anything Regina felt comfortable discussing. They were getting too comfortable with each other. That simply wouldn't do. Pulling herself back together mentally, she gathered the items Emma had cut up, began to assemble the salad, and was just about to comment on how poorly things were diced when Emma said in a much lighter tone, cutting the building tension in the room, "Now I'm going to have to find out all of the things you've mastered. Tap dancing? Guitar?"

Regina gave her best mysterious smile, answering in an equally light tone, "I suppose you'll have to stay around long enough to find out for yourself because I certainly have no inclination to make a list for you." She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed on it while she tossed the salad. Was she really flirting back? Surely not? Deciding it was time to shift the atmosphere in the room, she commented dryly, "While I'm working on dinner, I think you should check my answering machine." Emma gave her a look that screamed she was about to comment on the fact she still had an answering machine. "Don't look at me like that. Remember, we landed here in the early 80s. At any rate, do check it. The message on it from Ms. Blanchard is rather interesting."

Emma rolled her eyes and asked in an exasperated tone, "How about you just tell me what she said and leave out all the bits where I'm horrible. That sounds like a better plan."

Of course she wouldn't want to listen to a message from her mother. Regina rolled her eyes. "Must I tell you? It was going to be my entertainment for the evening to watch you listen to it. But, if you insist, fine. The summary of the message is that she and Charming are very sorry for whatever it is they've been telling you, they want you to return home, bring Henry with you, and they'll stop suggesting that our previous arrangement for visitations with Henry is less than acceptable."

The brunette, however, found anything less than their current situation 'less than acceptable', and she wasn't inclined to allow things to revert. She rather liked their current arrangement. She had Henry back at home, she could keep an eye on the town via the sheriff, and she had someone to talk to for the first time in months, perhaps even years. She wasn't apt to let that go. "For the record," her voice was harsher; there was no humor in her words, "if you should decide to return to that box they call an apartment, please note that I will not be offering my guest room to you anytime in the near future." Even if she wanted to, she reasoned, it would be too upsetting to allow her son and, she supposed, Emma Swan to move in and out of her life all the time. She was craving stability, and this current arrangement was definitely that.

Emma blinked at her, furrowing her brow and narrowing her eyes in confusion. "Are you saying you want me to live here, Regina?"

The older woman slowly shook her head. No, of course that wasn't what she was saying. What she was trying to get through that thick skull of Emma's was that she preferred the current situation because it… well, she liked having… it was pleasant knowing someone would… No, she wasn't finishing any of those thoughts. It didn't matter. The blonde would either stay or she would leave, and, in the end, she would probably leave, regardless of what she claimed to have 'chosen'.

That's what happens. Situations change, and people leave.

"What I am saying is that I need to finish dinner so that Henry doesn't end up eating at some ungodly hour." She pushed a few carrots, a chopping board, and a clean knife toward the other woman. "Now, are you going to help me, or are you going to go play on Henry's Playstation while you tell me you're going off to help him with his homework?"

"Oh, I see how it is. Shooing me off so you don't have to talk about it. I'm on to you, woman." Regina closed her eyes against the playful tone in Emma's voice. The woman was infuriating. "Hand me that carrot. You can't get rid of me that easily. I'm chopping this carrot. Answer my question."

The muscles in the older woman's jaw flexed as she ground her teeth in irritation. She was done talking. She didn't want to keep doing this, keep enjoying these conversations and sharing intimate details of their lives. It was too… something. Whatever that something was set all sorts of alarms off in her mind. It couldn't end well. There was simply no way it could. "Must you be so difficult?"

Emma stopped her chopping to give her best smug smile. "Yes, I must always be difficult."

Regina huffed in response. "I don't know why I'm asking you that. Of course you must." Still, it was nice having the company of someone who chose to be around and seemed to enjoy her company. Also, it was important to keep in mind that where Emma goes so, too, goes Henry. Therefore, she needed to do a little placating in order to keep the sheriff happy and to keep her in the guest room. "Do you recall a few nights ago when you said that, most of the time, you don't completely hate my company?"

Again, the blonde stopped chopping and looked up with a smirk on her face, "Yes, I remember. Please, go on."

Grunting with the effort of actually saying the words, Regina managed to explain in a pained tone,  
"The feeling is mutual. I don't completely hate you, either. In fact, most of the time, unless you're trying to take my son away from me or you're blaming me for something I didn't actually do," she glanced away, down to the food she should be finishing up, "I find your presence perfectly tolerable… if not even slightly welcome."

She looked up to see Emma's expression had softened, and, before she could stop herself, she added in a softer, more emotional tone, "The house is large. It's become noticeable when you and Henry are not in it."

"He's our son, Regina. Say that, and I'll stay. We'll stay." Naturally, she would leverage Henry against her, but Henry was her son, not Emma's. Emma had no right to claim she'd placed on him. She barely knew how to feed him, let alone what to do when he was sick or what his favorite show to watch was when he was feeling sad or how to soothe his fears when there was storm outside. She knew nothing about Henry. She was a DNA donor, nothing more, and here she was claiming part ownership in parental rights she had no claim to. It was maddening. Regina seethed with anger. "But I also get to redecorate my room. And I get to eat donuts for breakfast...occasionally. And so does Henry. And you have to tell me about everything you've mastered. And we have to make up with my parents so the rest of the town won't come knocking on the door."

Was she serious? Did this poor excuse for a human being actually think she could get away with making all these demands? How could she sit there and act as if she were entitled to anything? How could she act as if it was perfectly acceptable to even playfully suggest anything that she'd just laid out? She should throw the blonde out on her ear and… and… and what?

Lose any chance of getting Henry back home? Lose the one person who voluntarily talks to her? Lose her chance to feel like a normal human being for once?

She sighed, and let her shoulders drop as her eyes found their way back down to the work she was doing on their food. "You know, Miss Swan, I've never been one to take orders. I give them, and I don't particularly appreciate the overabundance of demands you've just made. However, I'd much rather have our son living in the home he's known all his life than fight you at every turn. His happiness is paramount, after all."

Turning away to avoid looking at the blonde, Regina popped the fish into the oven and closed the door with a definitive thud. "So, if you'd like to redecorate my guest room to suit your tastes, fine." There was no way she was going to act as though she'd lost this round. Even in loss, she was going to own this situation. "We'll go tomorrow to the hardware store and buy whatever paint you'd like. But the furniture stays. We'll buy different linens and curtains, but I'm not buying new furniture. And, since you've not been here on a weekend, let me assure you that Henry does, in fact, get doughnuts and sometimes even pancakes on the weekends." She wasn't always a strict mother, just most of the time.

"As to what I've mastered?" With an overly exasperated sigh, she turned around to finally make eye contact with Emma again. "I would really rather not make a list. Wouldn't it prove more interesting for you to find out as time passes on? Come now, dear, you must let me be at least a little mysterious." She flashed her best politician's smile.

At the young woman's eye roll, Regina add a bit of smugness to her expression, enjoying the power play she'd managed to pull out of the loss she'd just suffered. It always seemed to work that way for her. She lost ground and gained only a fraction back, but some was better than none, except when it came to Snow White. That was one battle she hated having completely lost.

Everytime Regina thought about it, she felt angry, disparaged, and a little depressed. Losing to Snow White was something she never could deal with well, and, now that Snow's daughter was in the former queen's home creating a whole different kind of win/loss scenario, Regina had to admit she was surprised to realize she wasn't feeling as though she was winning something against Snow White because Emma was staying with her. Instead, she felt like she was protecting something, which both shocked and worried her.

"I really don't know what to say about your parents." And she didn't know, despite her best efforts to work it out in her mind. "I fail to see why I must help you make up with them. I would say that the fact I didn't burn Mary Margaret alive the last time I saw her is good enough." There was an uncomfortable scene she didn't relish the idea of repeating ever again. "They're angry with you, not me. For some unknown yet rather welcomed reason, they've put the blame on someone other than me for a change. Besides, what would you have me do? Just stand there and try not to look as irritated as I felt at being there?" Of course, the option of burning them alive wasn't necessarily off the table, either.

"What about your happiness, Regina?" Emma's question completely surprised Regina, and it showed on the older woman's face. That was the last thing she expected to hear. "I mean, I know apparently parents are supposed to put their children's happiness before their own, and of course Henry's happiness is important, but what makes you happy?"

The brunette was too stunned to do much more than revert back to her default, and, with an air of indifference that came all too naturally to her she replied with ease, "My happiness is of no concern. It hasn't been in a very long time. However, Henry's happiness means much to me, and I'll do everything I can to see that he's as happy and as loved as he deserves to be."

Thankfully, the blonde seemed to accept the answer with an odd tilt of her head as she asked in a puzzled voice, "And why would I ask you to buy things for my project? I mean, I know I'm not rich like someone who was the mayor for years, but I do actually work. If I wanted new furniture I could get it on my own. I mean, I don't. I just wanted to point that out. I don't expect you to...take care of me as if I were your partner."

Regina snorted at the very notion of them as partners of any kind. She wasn't rising to that bait. "I know how much you make as Sheriff. There was a time when I signed your checks, which means I know what kind of furniture you can afford." Admittedly, it was actually a good paying job, but she wasn't about to let the other woman know that. "That I will not have in my home. If you want a new piece of furniture, we'll discuss it. This isn't about me taking care of you. It's about maintaining the integrity of the things that I allow in my home." And controlling her environment, which seems to be the only thing Regina had any control over anymore.

Emma scowled at her. "And, I didn't mean for you to make a list. I meant over time. I find I want to know everything about you." Emma Swan wanted to know everything about her? Why? Why in the world would she even care?

"As for my parents, I get your point. I'll take care of it. But...maybe, if you see them around or if they happen to show up here, or call, or whatever, you could not antagonize them? And I'll tell them the same thing." Regina gave a little scowl at the request.

Miss Swan was taking away all of her fun. "I haven't tried to antagonize your parents in days. I suppose I can keep the streak going so long as they do the same. I can be civil. I've had literally years of practice at maintaining a facade of civility in the face of people I loathe." It was true. She sheriff could check sources: Rumple, Blue, Jefferson, Belle, Snow ...

"And, for god's sake, call me Emma!"

That final outburst was enough to shake Regina back into something closer to how she had been before this little talk started. If there was one thing she wasn't going to do, it was call the sheriff by her first name, but that didn't mean she wouldn't play around with letting the young woman think she had a shot at making it happen. "You want to know everything about me? Is that so? Careful, dear. That sort of thinking has landed many a person in very interesting situations. I tell you what, if you can figure out why it is that I won't call you by your first name without hassling me for the answer, I'll both call you by it and I'll tell you of something interesting that I've mastered." She raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Will that do?"

Regina stood and watched with narrowed eyes, arms crossed, while she waited for an answer. It took a few moments, but Emma finally answered. When she did, it felt to the brunette as though the blonde's mind was racing a bit quickly. Her response was jumbled and in rapid succession. "Well, maybe it should be a concern. A little bit. Something to think about. Although, you'll probably just write that off and continue to only focus on Henry." Before Regina could retort, Emma was on to her next point. "I suppose we'll talk about grocery shopping money, bills, and all other expenses? I mean, I'm not a freeloader, despite what you may believe. I'll pull my own weight." Regina wanted to point out that she neither suggested she couldn't nor expected her to, but she didn't get the chance. "And, I...really want to know what kind of interesting situations I might get myself into. I'm not afraid of a challenge. Is it because you're too proper, and that's far too informal for you?"

She wasn't about to let that jumble of questions keep her from her retorts to the long list of comments. With a huff, she answered with annoyance lacing her voice, "I would expect nothing less than for you to help with the bills if you're going to be here. I suggest we split the utilities and any needs Henry may have and take turns buying groceries. I know you're not a freeloader, Miss Swan. Annoying, yes. An occasional thief? Yes. Freeloading, no. Your history alone proves that to be true." She rolled her eyes, though it was more at the fact she'd just complimented the other woman than Emma's actual history.

"You want to know what kind of trouble you can get into by trying to know everything about me? Just this once, I'll throw you a bone, but only because I want to see your reaction." Regina smiled and she could feel the hint of the Evil Queen she had been run over her face in a wave of dark delight. "Do you know that horrid Disney film that is supposedly about me and your mother? Well, the mirror in it, the one made of glass, was real. However, he wasn't always a mirror, and, when the curse was cast, he was lucky enough to stop being one again."

She gave a shrug, that same eerie smile on her face. "If he'd stopped for just a moment and done what I'd told him to do instead of demanding to know everything there was to know about me and wishing to always be with me, he might have managed to avoid being a magic mirror for over a decade. His loss. My gain." She smiled widely at the memory and subsequent misfortune to the genie turned would-be lover.

"And, no, I never asked who the fairest of them all was. That movie… do not get me started on that movie." She waved her hand to dismiss the whole thing. "Are you done with those carrots yet?"

Emma literally slow blinked at her, and it took all of Regina's carefully learned control to not break into chuckles at the reaction. "Did you turn him into a mirror, or…? I mean, they never really said that in the movie. He's just kind of a yes-man for the evil queen character. Until he decides to side with…"

Regina supposed she shouldn't be surprised at the question. "No, I didn't do a thing. He did that to himself. It was misfortunate for him, and a fortunate circumstance for me. I believe you would call that particular event in my history a win, if I understand your slang correctly."

"I would call that a win." Quirking her head to the side, Emma said in a thoughtful voice, "You know, now that I think about it, it must be full of inaccuracies, just like Henry's book. What do I have to do to get you to tell me the real stories? Paint the house? Clean the gutters?" Regina raised an eyebrow and shook her head. This woman was relentless. "Oh, right. The carrots. They're done."

With a sigh, the brunette took the carrots to add to the salad. "I really can't imagine that you'd want to know my side of things, but you do keep bringing it up." She seemed to think on it for second. "Hmm, perhaps you do. Either way, it's not something I'm ready to talk about with the daughter of Snow White. I'm sure you understand." She turned to the oven to retrieve the fish and break away from the conversation. "Go get Henry. Dinner is almost ready, and I believe he expects you to play some sort of video game on the Wii with him after dinner tonight. Mario Kart?"

"I do understand. But you might consider that I wasn't raised by Snow White. Maybe someday? I can be very patient…sometimes. Occasionally. I'll...try not to bring it up again." Regina kept her back turned, letting the young woman stumble on her own words. "I'll get Henry. You should join us for Mario Kart, though. Video games are for fam...everyone."

There was that almost word again. Family. Why did that keep popping up? Shaking her head, she turned with a small smile on her face and answered politely, "I'll consider it."

* * *

**Thank you for reading. We hope you're enjoying this, and, as always, reviews are appreciated.**


	11. September 7th, Kitchen

_**Chapter Eleven**_  
_**Sept. 7th, Saturday Morning**_  
_**Mayor's House, Kitchen**_

Last night had been a resounding success. She had thoroughly beaten Emma Swan at Mario Kart, actually had Henry cheering for her, and she managed to swipe half the last cherry turnover before the night was through.

Spending time with both Henry and Emma wasn't as unpleasant as she thought it would be, and she found she wanted to do it again. That tidbit of acknowledgement she had tucked away this morning with a happy nod of approval for herself before beginning the coffee and starting on waffles.

It was Saturday. Saturday was 'bad breakfast day', as Henry liked to call it.

She was more surprised than annoyed to see a sleepy sheriff shuffle into her kitchen. With a small grin on her face, she spoke lightly, "Good morning, Miss Swan. Did you sleep well? Waffle?"

"Better, thank...ooo waffle." She snorted at the short attention span presented to her. That must be from where Henry go it. "How did you sleep?"

They were going to do light chit chat? Why not? The brunette was in a agreeable enough mood for it. "As well as I usually do." She shrugged. What did it matter, really? "Today is the day we go to the hardware store for supplies. Do you have an idea of what you'd like to do in the room? Also, have you spoken to your parents yet?" Oh, to be a fly on the wall during that conversation.

"Yeah, I was thinking maybe painting the room a pale blue, and then decorating in light gray." Not the colors she would have picked, but she had to admit the color scheme seemed reasonable. " I did speak to my parents. They're...adjusting, but I think things will be okay. Besides, they understand that you have the room for both of us and they don't." At this, Regina turned from her waffle making to really look at the blonde. She highly doubted Mary Margaret and David Nolan were understanding of any of this, but she couldn't tell if their daughter was lying or oblivious.

Narrowing her eyes, she slowly turned back to the waffles. "Well, that's something, I suppose. Henry is still in his room. He ate breakfast, said something about needing to check something in his book, and then left. I'm not sure I really want to know, so I've decided to leave it alone." Truth be told, she hadn't had a chance to ask. He'd practically inhaled his breakfast and taken off so quickly she was barely sure he'd been down for breakfast at all.

Mention of the book left an unpleasant taste in her mouth, and she scrunched her face up in distaste as she settled on the bar stool opposite Emma to eat her own waffle. "I've had enough of that book to last me the rest of this lifetime." She kept her eyes on her food, carefully cutting off a small square to pop in her mouth. "Whenever you two are ready, we can go. Perhaps, after we buy supplies for your room, we can do a little grocery shopping?" She took a bite and had to smile. She loved pecan waffles.

"As long as we can pick up beer. This house is woefully understocked on beer." Beer? Well, the demand could be worse. The younger woman could have asked for… no, it couldn't be worse. Beer? Honesty? " I...don't know what to say about Henry and his book. I'm afraid to ask if it has something to do with me and some destiny I can't choose. Is it wrong that I want to take it away so we can just...have life play out now as it should?"

To Regina, that sounded more than reasonable. In fact, it was the first good sense she had ever heard come from the Sheriff. "If it were up to me, I'd burn it, so I'd say, no, it's not wrong of you at all."

Emma nodded. "Maybe we could have a...discussion with him about it? Now that everything is out in the open. Well. Not everything. But...more out in the open."

It was an idea she found workable. They really did need to talk to Henry about this. She wasn't sure anyone had since the curse was broken. "I think that may actually be a good idea, and Henry will listen to you. Goodness knows he won't hear a thing I have to say about that book. You know, yours was not the only fate set in stone. Many of us would rather not continue to see our sordid pasts brought up in full color illustrations with gilding along the borders." Nor was she particularly interested in having to think about her past deeds on a constant basis.

"Well, we'll talk to him then, and hope that he'll agree to maybe just see what happens for a while. Maybe, if we set a time limit on it, he'll be more open to the idea?" Regina was just tired enough of talk about that book to think Emma might be onto something. She gave a nod yes and turned her thoughts back to the list of things that needed to be done today.

Her brain went straight to the groceries, and, as she recalled the blonde's call for beer, she realized that, If she was going to allow it in her home, the there were going to be some rules about it. "Yes, and we may pick up some beer. I'm rather fond of Guinness and Sam Adams, but under no circumstance will I allow Pabst Blue Ribbon or Coors in my fridge. That's not beer. It's a disgrace."

"Who the hell drinks PBR? I may throw up just thinking about it. We can get a whole host of dark beers." Perhaps Miss Swan had better taste in things than she gave her credit for?

Regina gave the other woman an approving look. "When would you like to leave? If we wait for a bit, we can have lunch and then run our errands. If you help me clean up from breakfast, you may attempt to beat me at Mario Kart afterward."

"Lunch and then errands. And please. Mario Kart last night was just beginner's luck. Today i'm gonna smoke you. Winner takes the other out for dinner." She had to chuckle at the cockiness in the young woman's smile.

"You're going to 'smoke' me?" Not a chance. "Alright, deal. I hope you can afford someplace nicer than Granny's."

"If I win, you better take me to the best damn restaurant in town, I know your budget." She had to smirk at the determined look in Emma's eye as she stood up from her mostly eaten breakfast. "Let's do this."


	12. September 7th, The Sherwood Steakhouse

_**Chapter Twelve**_  
_**Sept. 7th, Saturday Evening**_  
_**The Sherwood Steakhouse**_

Of course Emma Swan would beat her at Mario Kart. Why would her run of good luck stand up for long? It never had before. Why should anything change now?

Since that morning, the sheriff had been gloating and teasing her about it, and Regina had decided she wasn't above petty barbs in return, which, much to her own personal surprise, always seemed to quickly devolve into something more-or-less flirtatious. She couldn't decide if the blonde was the one flipping all their usual banter into something innuendo laced or if she were doing it herself without realizing it. Whatever the case, by the time they arrived at the finest restaurant in Storybrooke and stepped out of her Mercedes for the valet to take over the car, she was agitated.

At what, she wasn't sure. Perhaps it was her lost bet, or the fact she was being forced to buy Sheriff Swan dinner, or the fact that she knew, without question, that all eyes were on them as they strolled through the place to her preferred table at the back.

She actually saw a few heads literally turn. It was embarrassing, really. Her natural inclination, of course, was to always own the moment, so she walked with the grace of the royal she was, confident she looked amazing in her clothing and reassured that, at the very least, she'd have a nice meal despite the company.

"Remember, Miss Swan, this is a restaurant, a place with quality food, proper service, and the expectation that you can properly gauge the difference between the salad fork, prawn fork, dinner fork, and dessert fork." They settled at the table, and she tried to ignore the haughty, amused look the other woman was giving her. In the warm, diffused light, the look combined with how well presented Emma was gave the young woman an ethereal quality. It was quite the sight. Regina realized she was staring and shook her head to clear her mind. "I cannot believe you bested me three times in a row. It's disgraceful." She picked the menu up and held it to cover her face. She could feel the blush creeping up, and she didn't want anyone to see her in such a state. Why on earth was she blushing? "Do you know what you want, or would you like for me to recommend something to you," she asked in her best annoyed tone, menu still held up between them.

"You mean, I probably shouldn't prop my feet on the table and belch mid-bite?" Regina lowered the menu enough to see over it and couldn't help but smirk at the teasing look she was being shot. " I'll keep that in mind." Perhaps the lowered lighting would cover the blush? She knew she couldn't hold her menu in front of her face for the rest of the night, and, in any case, why was she worried about anyone seeing her blush? Why was she blushing? It was all so very absurd. She lowered the menu and set it on the table while Emma continued to speak. "You know, I do know how to dine properly. I've been to many fine restaurants. Sorry your beginner's luck wore off. But hey. As a consolation prize, I'll let you order for me! But make sure it comes with something I can eat with a 'dessert' fork."

She had to give the sheriff credit. That was a clever way of not having to figure out what the menu said. She tilted her head to acknowledge the small victory point the younger woman had won. "At least you dressed properly for the occasion. I'm surprised you even own a dress." Before she could stop herself, her eyes ran over the dress in question. It certainly was well fitted. She cleared her throat.

Much to her dismay, Emma gave her a devilishly flirtatious smile, which caused the blush Regina had finally felt subsiding to flare again. "I own a couple dresses. This is the hot black dress. I also have a hotter green dress." The brunette's eyes flickered to the menus as Emma placed hers on top of the other. "I could order my own, but I know you like it when you get to wave superiority over me." The smile turned into a smirk for just a split second. It was enough for Regina to shake whatever it was that was causing her to blush, and she held onto it, pushing the odd emotions surfacing down and managing to rebuild herself back to where she felt she should be. The phrase 'life line' popped into her head. Had the blonde just thrown one to her? That would make her even more pathetic. She mentally waved the thought off.

"Hot and hotter? I really don't know where to start on how much less I could care as to how 'hot' you dressed for this affair." For emphasis, Regina rolled her eyes. "I suppose I can't expect you to order your own. That would make this little," there was no way she was saying 'loss', "not win of mine too easy. Very well, I suggest we start with the sesame crusted Ahi tuna. I personally prefer the filet mignon, but you may prefer the New York strip. That much I'll leave up to you. The entrees come with a salad. The Ceasar here is very good." She tried for bored, but Regina was fairly certain she was coming off as anxious, and that agitated her even more. What was wrong with her? This was Emma Swan, not someone that should be making her feel… things she wasn't going to consider. This dinner was the result of a bet, nothing more. "If it is alright with you, I think I'll order a few additional sides for us as well. The portabella mushrooms and the prawns are actually very nice." Emma had mentioned dessert, so dessert she shall have. Leaning back in her chair, Regina shot the woman across from her a small, polite smile. "For dessert, they have a pecan pie served with a bourbon sauce and a la mode that I would suggest we share. It's large enough. The ice cream is unique. They make it here, and I believe it's some sort of cinnamon vanilla combination." She raised an eyebrow in dare. "How does that sound?"

Emma tilted her head and considered the older woman for a moment, narrowing her eyes. "Are you saying you don't think I look hot, Regina? And here I went through all this trouble to look appropriate for your fancy restaurant and you don't even care. Next time I'll make sure to dress sloppy since there's no point otherwise."

Naturally, that would be the direction the sheriff would choose to go. Regina sighed. "Don't misinterpret what I'm saying, Sheriff. I said I don't care how 'hot' you look. That doesn't mean I don't care how well put together you appear when you're seen in public with me. It's actually a bit comforting to know that you can, in fact, clean up well and tame that hair of yours. Seeing your hair well styled into the princess curls, as the town calls them," the first time she'd heard that phrase, she actually chuckled. But, then again, at the time no one knew how ironic it was to call them that. Now, it wasn't so funny. "Is a nice change of pace from your regular style, but appreciating your style for the evening is not the same thing as thinking about your 'hotness level'." She tried to sound annoyed, and thought she pulled it off well. "Honestly…" She waved at the menus. "May we please order?"

With a pout on her face that left Regina feeling warmly amused despite herself, Emma answered in a huff, "Fine, I'll take the filet mignon just for a change. The last time I was in an extremely nice restaurant, I was chasing a mark as a bail bondsman. That seems like forever ago." She watched the blonde shrug, but it was stilted. There was clearly more to that story, and she wondered if she could get it out of her. It wasn't that she wanted to use the information later against Emma. She was just curious. For a change, she found she genuinely wanted to know something more of the blonde than what the best way was to get her out of town. "I'd love to have more sides. More options to try. How many times have you been here? Other dates?" Regina actually looked away and snorted at that. No one dated the Mayor, but she turned back when she heard the odd hesitation in the younger woman's voice as she continued to comment. "I'd love to share dessert with you. Cinnamon and vanilla sounds like a dream. You should know already that I love it, I mean, I have the combination all the time on my cocoa." Of course she knew. How could she forget? Henry had been drinking his cocoa that way since Emma came to town.

She internally sighed. All roads eventually lead back to her son. "Everything sounds good, but you forgot the wine."

She needed to think of something else. She was too vulnerable when thoughts of Henry hit her. "Wait a moment," perhaps now would be a good time to find out that story, "You were chasing a mark as a bail bondsman? I had completely forgotten that was your job before you arrived in town." That was a lie, but it sounded like a good segway. "You're right; that does feel like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?" Or several. "I wonder what kind of stories you have from that job? Surely it has to be more interesting than locking Leroy up every Saturday night?" Anything would probably be more exciting than that, or most of the mundane things that happened in her town.

"Yeah, I was chasing someone." The thought of Emma chasing someone while in a dress and heels was intriguing. That had to be quite the sight. "It was the night Henry showed up at my apartment. Then I brought him back," There he was again. Regina gave a slight frown, but held herself in check. She didn't want to talk about him in public. The last thing she needed to do was cause a scene. "And, well, you know everything about my life since then. And...most of my stories are the same. Chase the person, catch the person, bring them back after they skipped bail."

The older woman laughed, and it was real. It was a real laugh, and she surprised herself with it. Where had that come from? She waved her hand in the air as if to dismiss it. "We digress from our dinner order. I didn't forget the wine. I normally don't drink in public. It's an old habit from before the," she grimaced. For some reason, she just couldn't bring herself to say the words 'the curse', which was odd. She'd never had that problem before."From before. However, if you'd like wine, there are plenty of lovely reds to choose from here. Whatever you'd like, Miss Swan. You won the battle, and to the winner go the spoils."

Emma shrugged at her. "If you don't want to drink in public, then I'll take water. I don't need to have alcohol with dinner."

Regina nodded. That was not the answer she had expected, but she found she respected it. "Well, your days sound rather repetitive when you put it that way. Believe it or not, I can sympathize with that. Mine were similarly repetitive before Henry." Same day, over and over again, for years was her own personal idea of what religious people in this world might call Hell. "Well, no matter now. I think it's safe to say that both of our lives are much more… interesting now days."

"That is true. I mean, I'd never have guessed before that I'd be living with a fairytale Queen and I'd be considered a knight of some kind by an entire town and that a ten year old boy would call me a savior. And yet...here I am. And strangely, I wouldn't change any of it. " Yes, wasn't it funny how these things work out?

Brushing aside the rant she wanted to go on, Regina decided to focus on something she'd been wondering since they left the house that evening. "Speaking of the town, it was rather nice of Miss Lucas to come to the house to watch Henry while we are out. How did you manage that? Most people in this town won't come within in 20 paces of my front door."

The blonde blushed, and Regina had to fight to keep the little gasp from escaping. She was forced to admit the blonde really was stunning. "...I might owe Ruby some things in exchange for babysitting. It's nothing you would really care to hear about." No, that wasn't true. Regina wanted to know everything about it, if that meant the young woman continued to blush. "Let's say that it'll humiliate me and leave it at that, alright? And actually...she's available once a week." Every week? What kind of deal had been struck? "If you wanted to make this a thing together. Or separately. Or whatever."

Did Emma Swan just ask her to go on a recurring dinner outing with her weekly? "I'm not sure I want to know what you've agreed to in order to make that arrangement happen. But, if it humiliates you, maybe I do?" The blush on the other woman deepened. Yes, she definitely want to know. "Either way, I don't know that I like the idea of leaving Henry once a week to do something without him. Perhaps, if he understood that it wasn't because we didn't want to be with him, but, then again, why would I want to be with…" She stopped herself. Ordinarily, the barb would be easy, but she couldn't finish the thought. The look of hurt in Emma's eyes actually gave her pause. She sighed. Why did she even care if the young woman was hurt? "You know, thinking on it, let's just play it by ear, shall we?"

Glancing up, she saw their waiter coming, and she smiled with relief. "Oh, I see our food is arriving."


	13. September 7th, Driving Back

_**Chapter Thirteen**_  
_**Sept. 7th, Saturday Night**_  
_**Driving Back**_

Regina slammed her car door and hit the gas, barely missing the valet who had brought it to her. "I don't care what you say, Miss Swan. You should have at least let me singe his tacky waiter's uniform." Or punched him directly in the face. "I cannot believe the gall, the absolute audacity of the people in this town. Have they completely forgotten with whom they're dealing? I am their queen. I'm not the butt of their jokes, and I'm certainly not some celebrity gossip column waiting to happen." No, absolutely not. Regina's anger flared wildly as she raged on, her eyes occasionally flashing purple.

"How dare he snap a picture of us while we were attempting to eat and then threaten to send it to the tabloid of this town. Just who does he think he is? Who does he think he's dealing with? I'm not Miley Cyrus, and you're most certainly not Britney Spears." They were the Queen and the Sheriff, and he was treading on ice so thin that sneezing would make him fall in. She was not someone to be trifled with in this way.

"And to think he actually thought that threatening to tell the tabloid that we were on date would be the best way of extorting money out of me? Really? Honestly, why didn't you just let me turn him into the toad he clearly is?" At the stoplight, she turned to glare at Emma. "And WHY are you smirking? This isn't funny, Miss Swan."

Too many indignities had happened all in one day for Regina's liking. "First I lose to you. Then I'm forced to pay for your dinner and now this? Could this evening get any worse?" She turned to find the light green, and growled a little as she hit the gas.

Emma's voice was far calmer and more reasonable. "You can't do magic, Regina. What would Henry say if I let you turn someone into a toad?" The brunette grunted and continued to drive, refusing to give in to the very valid point just made. "I'm sure not everyone back in fairytale land was respectful to your image, either." Her mind flashed back to the time she'd had Rumple disguise her as a peasant. No, they didn't always respect her, but they did fear her. She was fine with that. They wanted an Evil Queen, and they got what they wanted. If this town didn't straighten up, it may very well happen again.

"But really, is the idea of us being on a date that awful to you?" Regina's head turned around fast enough the car swerved a bit, and she had to quickly return her attention back to driving. Before she could say a word, Emma awkwardly explained, "Because...that's kind of...what it looked like. We were at dinner. You ordered for me. I dressed up for you, not that you cared. You paid for my food. I mean, Christ, Regina, all that's missing is the awkward shuffle at the front door and the goodnight kiss." No, she refused to see this as a date. It was preposterous. Why would she go on a date with Emma Swan? She barely tolerated her. She'd lost a bet. That was all. "If it was that abhorrent to you, we'll never do it again. I don't have to do this. I don't have to...try to be a family."

Family? There was that word again. Regina pulled into her driveway, shut the car off and turned in her seat to face the other woman, who looked sad and, perhaps, a little broken. That wasn't what she wanted, either. She didn't want to hurt Emma. She wanted… What did she want? She wanted people to leave her alone. That's all she really wanted anymore. It wasn't the idea of being out with the sheriff that had angered her. It was the fact that people stared, that there was talk, that she couldn't simply go out and do something while maintaining her dignity. She opened her mouth to try and explain, but Emma cut her off before she could start.

"Or," now the blonde was starting to get angry. " you can stop focusing on yourself for two goddamn minutes and realize that what others think doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is what Henry thinks. And what you think. And possibly what I think, maybe. But I get it. You can't just do that. I don't know how to tell you to let it go. I don't."

She wasn't sure she knew how to either, if she were being honest.

What was happening here? One moment, she was angry at the very idea that anyone would think she were on a date with Emma Swan, and, in the next, she was concerned that she'd truly hurt the woman's feelings. Her emotions were all over the board, and it was so unlike her, the feeling so foreign, she wasn't sure what to do next.

She started to reach out to touch the other woman but stopped herself, letting her hand drop to her lap instead. "You know, I'm not angry at you." And, honestly, she wasn't, though she wanted to be. It would make things easier if she were, less complicated. "This isn't about my image. My image disintegrated the moment you broke the curse." There, she said it. Why was that so hard? "The only thing I am to the people in this town is the Evil Queen, and, if that's all I'll ever be to them, then I think I can live with that. After all, there's no denying that I earned my title." With every heart, life, and threat, she had earned it, and she wasn't going to back down from owning up to the things there was no denying she had done.

"However, I refuse to become a joke, a laughingstock. That's one step from pity, and I'll not have it." She would rather be spit upon than pitied. "It's simply not acceptable. I'll take their fear. I'll take their loathing. I'll take their hate. I will not take their pity. That is beneath me. I may never have their respect, but I refuse to be their joke." Even as she hardened her features, she was mentally frowning. Who was she kidding? She had always been the laughingstock of those peasants. But, be that as it may, she refused to allow them the pleasure of airing their mockery of her in public. That she would not tolerate.

Pinching the bridge of her nose with her forefinger and thumb and closing her eyes, she asked in a much less angered, more tired voice. "Can I have at least that much of my dignity left?"

"I know you aren't angry at me." She watched as Emma resituated herself, turning to face her and crossing her arms. "Explain to me, though, how the idea of me and you being on a date makes you a joke or laughingstock? Is it because they aren't afraid of you enough to not take the picture? Because otherwise, it sounds like it is the idea of you being on a date with me that is the joke."

She opened her eyes and let her her hand again drop into her lap. Emma's anger wasn't justified. They weren't on date. They had been fulfilling the terms of a lost bet. Still, the hurt in her voice and pain in her eyes bothered Regina more than she liked. She felt compelled to explain the reasoning behind her anger because the very notion that Emma might think she was bothered by the idea of dating the blonde was unacceptable. That simply wasn't the case at all, and she needed to make certain Emma understood that.

Glancing down at her hands, she offered quietly and much more calmly, "I don't have an issue with anyone thinking I'm dating you. I have no problems with us behaving like civilized people who are trying to create the best household possible for our son because that is exactly what we are doing and should be doing. He needs a stable home, a stable family. He needs to know that where he lives is a safe place, and, frankly," she managed to force herself to make eye contact with Emma, determined to show she meant what she was saying, "so do I."

Why was she saying these things? That was more than she meant to share. Her mouth was moving, her voice was sincere, but her brain kept shouting she should stop giving away so much to this other woman. Yet, she continued on inspite of the trepidation she was feeling, "However, you should be the one worried for your reputation. It's your reputation, not mine, that would suffer. People would assume the worst of me, that I'd cursed you or put a spell on you to make you mine. But, if they found that wasn't the case, then their opinion of you would be sorely lowered. After all, how can the White Knight date the Evil Queen? That doesn't happen." She gave the sheriff a very sad smile. "Does that make you my Black Knight?"

It was so strange to see the sheriff actually making an attempt to understand. It was written in the serious concentration on her face. She was clearly attempting to fit all the puzzle pieces together, and Regina found she was grateful for it but unable to really handle the fact it was happening. No one tried to understand her. They tried to fight her, kill her, or overthrow her, but they didn't try to see what made her tick. Fighting Regina could handle, but the fierce look of determination Emma was giving her coupled with the fact that Regina suddenly felt completely out of her element was making her feel off balance. Who was this person sitting in her car with her? This type of pushing wasn't Emma's normal behavior. Eventually, she would back down. At least, she normally would where the brunette was concerned. No, that wasn't true. Emma always seemed to push her, and she was the only one who ever did. "If my reputation suffers, it's the fake reputation that they created for me. I never claimed to be a paragon of good. I never claimed to be a white knight. Maybe instead my reputation will bring up yours."

She stared at Emma, her mouth opened just a bit. What could she say to that? This whole thing was wearing down her reserves. She was tired of many things, and they all seemed to be boring down into her in her present. "It's all ridiculous, isn't it?" Regina gave a humorless chuckle. "We're nowhere near the Enchanted Forest, and, yet, it's still here. We'll never be rid of it, and, since it's never going to go away, I refuse to let it's politics take away what little dignity I have left."

The older woman squared her shoulders and lifted her chin a bit. If she was going to be here in her second version of hell for the remainder of her life, then she was going to do so on as much of her terms as possible. "Does that make sense? Do you understand?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "I wish I could get it through your stubborn ass skull that I'm not just here for Henry. Why do you care about what they think? I mean, you've done a lot to them, from what I understand. But I bet they've done a lot to you, too."

That was an understatement. "Our history is…" she trailed off, not sure how to complete that statement. There was an entire lifetime's worth of emotions involved in that explanation. "complicated. Wrongs have been done on both sides."

This woman, this daughter of Snow White, never stopped surprising her. "I don't… you're not… It's so very rare that I'm at a loss for words and will admit to it that I think you may want to mark this event in your calendar, Miss Swan." Regina needed for Emma to understand. There was no other way around it. For the first time in a very long time, she needed someone else to honestly understand, and she was going to allow herself to indulge the need, just this one. "Let me try again."

"I don't date." She pulled her mouth into a thin line and gave a very small shake of her head. "Dating indicates the possibility of a relationship. The possibility of a relationship indicates the idea of trust between two people. Trust between two people means that love, or the possibility of it, must be there between them, and, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not very good at loving people." Terrible at it. Horrible.

"I haven't been in a very long time, longer than you've been alive…" Had it really been that long? Time passes quickly even as it feels slow. "It's been so long that I can't really recall what that's like. The kind of love that leads to dating isn't something that I … my history…" Again she trailed off, at loss as to how to even start to explain.

"Oh, I've noticed." Of course Emma had noticed. A blind man would notice. Regina sighed and looked away, out the front windshield and to her house wondering if it was too late to get out of the car and lock herself in her room for the rest of the night. "You can't even call me by my first name, as if calling me anything but Emma would keep me at a distance. Has it worked?" Her head swung back around to lock eyes with the blonde. Had she really figured it out? The sheriff was so much more perceptive than Regina gave her credit for. "Do you know my favorite thing about history? It's all in the past, Regina. And even though I want to know all of that stuff about you...to be able to understand you a bit better, to be able to know a little bit more about how you think, and what makes you react to things the way you do, I'm a lot more willing to leave what you did in the past...in the past. And I'm also saying that just because you haven't done something in a long time...I think you can learn to be good at it."

She winced at the very thought she might be able to change. Change was difficult, like this conversation she seemed to have inadvertently stumbled into. "It's all very complicated, and I haven't any idea why I'm telling you any of this. For whatever reason, it's suddenly very important to me that you understand that it's not the idea that I would be on a date with you, or another woman for that matter. It's the idea that I would be on a date at all." Because she didn't date, and, if she were honest, she never had. Royals don't date. They marry for money, wealth, power, and to secure borders or trade agreements, but they don't marry for love, and they certainly don't date.

"The idea is… It simply isn't. Frankly, I'm not even sure I can, and the town would have my head on a spike if they thought I was attempting to seduce Snow White's daughter." With Snow and David Nolan a the head of the pack. "I think Henry has had enough angry mobs at his front door to last him the rest of his life. My sins shouldn't make his life that much harder. I want that to stop. I need that to stop." She would protect their son, even if that meant remaining as alone as ever she had been.

But it was clear Emma wasn't going to allow that, which she couldn't understand. "Why do you care so much? I've tried to run you out of town multiple times, I've tried to curse you, I've tried to kill your mother more times than I can actually remember, and, still, you're here. Why?"

"I'm still here because I choose to be here with you. I could have left and moved back in with my parents. It would be a lot easier than participating in all sorts of town-related embarrassing activities as well as whatever else Ruby's little heart desires in order to get back into the town's good graces." She still couldn't believe Emma had done all of that simply to spend time with her. Regina had believed up until this moment that it had all been for Henry's sake, but she was being forced to see otherwise. "It would be easier for the town, but it wouldn't be easier for me, because, well, my heart couldn't stand it. I can't tell you why. It just...wants what it wants." Her heart? No, Emma Swan could not be saying what she thought the younger woman was saying. This couldn't be happening. She was the daughter of Snow White, her enemy. This couldn't be. "It wants to be here, with you. I want to be here with you. And, even if that means there's never a relationship, I'm still never going anywhere." Regina took in a startled breath. Yes, the blonde was saying what she thought she was saying.

"Just like you spent all that time mastering things. This is another thing you can learn to be better at, especially if you did it once or twice or so in the past." Once. It had only been once. Could she really do this again? With Emma Swan? "You're already good at loving Henry...and you get better at expressing that every day. And honestly, I...wasn't asking you to get me into bed, Regina." That thought hadn't crossed her mind, but, now that it was mentioned, Regina had to actively keep it from crossing her mind again. She could feel her face twitch and wished she could control her facial expressions. The last thing she wanted right now was to give away anymore of what she was thinking or feeling. "I mean, I've been the one making all the...moves...so to speak." Regina's mind flashed around to their recent interactions. She had been wondering recently who was flirting with who. "Ask yourself who made the bet into a date?"

It was a turning point, and Regina knew it. She could either push Emma away, beat her back down, and pretend like the last few moments had never happened, or she could take a chance. What had the cricket told her at her last session? Perhaps what she needed was to learn to trust someone, and why not try with someone who so clearly was interested in knowing who she was instead of being solely interested in who she had been.

Taking in a long breath, she stated in a quiet yet determined voice, "In addition to playing the piano, I also play the guitar and the violin, though not as well as I'd like. You might be interested to know that I'm actually decent at boxing, too, but not for self defense, and," she was going to take the chance. "sometimes, Emma, I even have ice cream for dinner. So, if you insist on remaining, then you should know my habits, which include sleeping in on Sundays and leaving Nerf guns hidden in the house on Friday afternoons so that, when Henry gets home from school, we can have Nerf wars." She gave a small but honest smile. "It looks like I'll have to add more guns now. Maybe we should go shopping tomorrow for some. What do you think?"

She couldn't help but smile at the absolute confusion on Emma's face. "...what just...happened? Did you, what? You sleep in? Nerf guns? Who are you?" She chuckled. That was a good question. She wasn't sure she knew anymore. Regina felt as confused as the sheriff looked.

"You called me Emma. Oh, Oh! I said the reason!" The excited look on the younger woman's face made Regina feel a little warm on the inside. It was… nice. "I'm sort of speechless. I said a lot just then. You can make the 'entire vocabulary' jokes now. We definitely need to go shopping for nerf guns. And Saturday...paintball."

Regina raised an eyebrow. That escalated quickly. "Paintballs leave nasty bruises. I'd rather not, and I'd rather not make my usual vocabulary jokes at the moment, either. I'm afraid I'm not in the headspace for it." She turned to look at her house again, hoping for a way out of this moment. Luckily, she found it. "I see the lights are on downstairs. Miss Lucas must still be awake."

Opening the car door and stepping outside, she announced to the air, "I think I would very much like to go inside, pay Ruby for watching Henry, and then go to bed. It's been a long night after a long day. Between painting your room today and this, I feel a little drained."

Emma's smiled practically beamed. "What, no goodnight kiss?"

"Not tonight. One life altering thing at a time, shall we?" She waited until Emma closed the door and then she locked the car. "Perhaps tomorrow, after we're both up, we can take Henry to the toy store and then have dinner at Granny's… as a family?" There, now she'd said that, too. The cricket would be so proud of her. She mentally groaned at the thought.

With a small chuckle, Emma nodded. "Of course we can go to the toy store and have dinner together. Since I'm staying, I need to build a collection of Legos."

"You want Legos? Henry has a stash under his bed. It won't be long before he stashes other things under there, and I'm sure he won't miss his Legos. Although, if you're any indication of how he's going to mature, I may be mistaken." Too many steps. She decided that was too many steps. Equating Henry to Emma in such a fashion was more than she meant to do. It was more than she could handle for the night. Something was going faster than her mind, and she didn't like it. "Come, Miss… Emma. Let's go inside. It's very late."

Seeming to practically skip behind her to the door, Emma said brightly, "No, the porn will be under the Legos. I'll have the talk with him when it's time. But yes. Inside." She reached around Regina and opened the door, giving a little bow. "After you, my Queen."

Regina walked quickly in, hoping the blush that flashed across her features had gone unnoticed by the young blonde holding the door and still smiling brightly.

* * *

**We know it's not 7 Chapters, but I have to admit that I really enjoyed the not-date this go around. As always, thank you for taking time to read our stuff, and reviews are always appreciated.**


	14. September 8th, Kitchen

_**Chapter Fourteen**_  
_**Sept. 8th, Sunday Morning**_  
_**Mayor's House, Kitchen**_

Regina had yet another rough night. She hadn't slept well. Her mind kept going over the events of the evening and insisted on replaying everything she should have said as opposed to what had actually issued forth from her mouth. It was torturous to realize exactly how weak she'd looked in front of Emma Swan, of all people, and it was even worse when she realized how unbothered she was by that fact. Her emotions and what she knew to be true were not aligning, and the deficit between them was driving her to distraction.

After managing about three hours sleep in total, she'd finally given up, gotten dressed, and headed down stairs to get breakfast ready for everyone. Much to her surprise, she found the sheriff attempting to make breakfast herself.

"Miss…" Oh, yes, she'd lost that wager as well. "Emma, are you cooking?" Her eyes ran around the kitchen, but they seemed to be alone. "Where's Henry? Did you really wake up before either of us? Actually, don't answer that. I'm still waking up, and that's an obvious answer. Clearly, you have." Her eyes widened as the sickly smell of burning finally registered to her sleep deprived mind. "Oh God, what are you burning?"

"Let's just say I woke up before either of you and pretend I slept." So the sheriff hadn't slept well, either? That would have been a far more interesting point had something not been burning in Regina's kitchen. Her eyes frantically searched for the source. "I'm not burning anything, it's just how the toast smells! Oh, shit, the toast is burning!" With wide eyes, the brunette watched the other woman rush to the toaster and frantically try to get the bread out before more damage could be done. "You distracted me! What are you doing up already? I was supposed to have more time! Why isn't your toaster normal?!"

Trying to hide her amusement, Regina walked to the toaster and brushed Emma away. "Get away from the toaster before you burn the house down. I'll take care of it." With a flick of her wrist, she gracefully popped the completely burned toast from the appliance. Staring down at what once had been bread, her face twisting in disgusted at the burned mess. "There's nothing wrong with my toaster. You have it set at the highest setting." With a shake of her head, she carefully plucked the bread from the toaster and quickly tossed into the can for use in her compost pile. At least something could get use from it. "I can't believe you aren't even able to cook simple breakfast food." She looked back to the toaster and groaned. It was still smoking. "I think I'm going to have to buy a new toaster. This may be a lost cause."

She sighed to indicate how put upon she felt by the idea she'd have to buy something new because Emma had destroyed her old one, though, if she were being honest, she'd been meaning to replace the toaster for some time. It had a tendency to set itself to the highest setting, though she'd never admit that to the blonde. "I'm up late. I normally wake up at 6 in the morning. It's 9AM. How much more time do you need?" She glanced around her kitchen to double check on the rest of her appliances. "Please tell me you haven't attempted anything else besides the toast. I can't even begin to understand how you're this bad at making anything other than cereal." With a barely disguised look of amusement threatening to break out, she turned back to the toaster, unplugged it, and turned to shove it into the sheriff's hands. "Here, take the toaster and put it on the back porch. We'll throw it out once it cools down enough not to cause a fire."

She watched Emma look down at the toaster as if it had been a kicked puppy. The woman, not just the toaster, was a lost cause, but, if the blonde was going to stay for any length of time, something was going to have to be done. The rest of the appliances didn't deserve to die in a similar fashion. "That settles it. If you're going to live here, then you're going to learn how to cook. We'll start with how to make an acceptable cup of coffee. Watch and learn, there will be a quiz afterward."

A little whine issued from the young woman as she protested a little too loudly, "It's not a lost cause! I can fix it! I can…" Regina simply leveled her best mayoral stare at her and crossed her arms in silent comment as to how much she believed the claim presented to her. "Oh come on, it isn't that bad, you just...came at a bad time." Regina quirked an eyebrow. "It isn't my fault your toaster has fifteen different ways to make a simple piece of bread into deliciousness."

Despite herself, Regina gave a little chuckle before she could stop it. "Look," Emma pointed to the counter where a plate was piled high with eggs. "I made perfect scrambled eggs. Perfect. I should get a medal for them. Forget about the toast."

Dropping her hands down to her sides and allowing a small smile to grace her features, Regina turned to the coffee to begin grinding beans without so much as offering comment on what she really thought Emma deserved for her attempts at breakfast. Frankly, she felt the blonde deserved a swift kick for nearly catching the house on fire. "Fine." From behind her, she could hear the pout in Emma's voice, and she mentally pictured the petulant look that likely went with it. "Show me how you like your coffee. If you think I'm taking a quiz though...forget it."

Was that a challenge, or were they flirting again? Regina was starting to think that their challenges to each other were their way of flirting. That would probably prove to be an interesting conversation with the cricket come Wednesday morning. "What I think is that Henry can make scrambled eggs. He's eleven. You should be able to at least out cook our son." Henry had yet to catch anything on fire that he wasn't supposed to. Emma should be able to do the same. "While the coffee brews, let me cook some bacon, and we can turn your eggs into breakfast burritos. Henry loves them, so I'm going to assume you do, too." Why not? Clearly Emma has the preferences of a preteen, so anything Henry likes she'll like. It seemed reasonable.

"I can out-cook our son." Regina didn't bother to hide her look of disbelief. "I just wanted scrambled eggs. But fine, if you want breakfast burritos, then so be it. I'm not picky. I'll just sit over here with my orange juice and watch you work. Maybe it'll help me learn where everything is." She watched Emma settle and had to take a moment. The huffy, sullen look and slouched posture were so much like Henry's it nearly stole her breath to see it.

It was starting to amaze her at exactly how much of Emma Swan was in their son.

Shaking her head to clear it, she worked on the bacon as a means of distraction. As her mind ran through odds and ends, it occurred to her that Emma said she hadn't slept, which she found odd. She hadn't heard anyone in the house stirring about while she'd had her own sleepless night. What had kept the sheriff from sleeping? Was it the same thing that had kept her from finding rest? "So… you didn't sleep again last night? I thought the evening ended well. What kept you up?"

"The sleeping thing? I um…" The uncertainty in the blondes voice made Regina look up from her work and really pay attention. "I got caught up in playing a game on the Wii. It was 6AM before I knew it! Silly me. You know...darn those games and all." It really shouldn't have come as a surprise that Emma was a bad liar. Her mother was exceptionally poor at it, so, naturally, so would be her daughter.

"I may not have your supposed internal lie detector, but even I can tell you're being less than truthful, Miss Swan." She rolled her eyes. This was going to get old quickly. "Emma." She hated losing, but seeing the warm look in the younger woman's eyes every time she said her first name might make up for it. Regina realized she needed to school herself to do it on a regular basis. "It will take me some time to adjust to calling you by your first name. Please don't look at me like that. Old habits can be very difficult to break." The little quirk to Emma's mouth was attractive, and the humor on her face was making Regina want to blush yet again. She'd have none of that. It was time to refocus. "Now Emma, why don't you tell me the truth? What's really on your mind that's keeping you up? I'm told it's helpful to talk about these sorts of things." The cricket has told her that on repeat, in fact.

"Look, Regina, I...went through a lot of stuff. I don't want to talk about it. I tell you I don't sleep because I know you're going to catch me awake, and I don't...I can't just...tell you. What do you want me to say?" The truth. She wanted the sheriff to tell her the truth, but she could understand not wanting to relive a truth that was painful simply so another person could learn of it. "I don't want to make anyone feel more guilty for things that were outside of their control. I can't turn back what happened. I can't make my brain shut off when I'm waiting to fall asleep, and I can't make my dreams go away when I'm asleep." It took Regina by surprise that Emma had nightmares, but, as she consider it, she realized it made sense. She'd seen the sheriff's history written in the juvenile records and foster care files from her youth. That all had been Regina's fault. The brunette frowned, looking back down to the food she was preparing. "I...tolerate the situation. And then I burn toast."

She tolerates it and then she… Regina looked up, a small uptick gracing the corner of her mouth. Emma never ceased to surprise her. She had all the reasons in the world to be an angry, bitter person, yet she always managed to find humor somewhere. Regina didn't know how she did it, but she did know what the other woman was feeling. She felt that way herself, and the experience was extremely lonesome. The loneliness made the feeling all the worse. There wasn't much she could do about the past the sheriff had lived, but Regina felt compelled to help in the present. Perhaps it was time for a little atonement? Yes, the cricket was going to have a field day at their next session. "You're not the only one whose past keeps them awake at night. The next time you're… tolerating come find me. We can tolerate it together, and, perhaps, I can take the opportunity to show you how to not burn toast." Or, at the very least, she could show Emma how to make scrambled eggs that weren't like rubber as these were.

Emma gave a small nod. "Okay. I can do that. I mean, maybe that's fair, right? I keep asking you about your past, I should be willing to tell you about mine...or at least...willing to be open to maybe someday telling you about mine." Perhaps, one day, but Regina would never push the subject. She also understood how it felt to be forced to confront memories of which one never wanted to be reminded. She had that experience every single day. She had no desire to wish it on the young woman across from her.

She finished the burritos and slid one over to Emma as she replied hesitantly, "You don't have to tell me anything for me to feel certain things regarding how you grew up. I assure you that, whether you said anything of it or not, I would still think about it." She would at least once a week when the cricket pressed her about it, and, now, she found she thought of it daily all on her own. "But I understand the desire to not talk about one's past. So, instead, shall we talk about our present?"

She poured coffee and settled on her stool opposite the sheriff. "We clearly need a new toaster. Where would you like to go shopping for one? I suggest the Crate & Barrel in Boston. It would make for a lovely road trip today, don't you think?" It would also make for a lovely distraction from the odd tension building between the two, and Henry would love the road trip.

"When we get a new toaster, can we get something simple? I mean, do you really need seventeen settings?" Regina watched Emma's face morph from sad to childlike in her excitement for the proposed shopping trip. Again, she saw Henry there, but, this time, it only made her smile. "Oh, and maybe we can look at other fun kitchen things!"

The brunette attempted a bored tone. "I suppose so, and I don't need anything else for the kitchen. I've got everything we could possibly need and many things I likely don't. But, if you really want to buy something else," her voice broke, going from bored to warm and teasing, "we could always get you an apron. Perhaps one of those lovely, frilly ones I've often seen Beaver Cleaver's mother wear in those black-and-white television reruns?"

"Are you kidding?" That offer resulted in an eyeroll from the savior, which caused Regina's smile to grow a touch. "You can wear the frilly aprons in this relationship." Wait, what had the blonde just said? "I need an apron that's awesome and has something hilarious on it. Also, I'd like to stop by a bookstore. Henry probably wants new comic books, too. Family trip!"

"Relationship?" No, this wasn't a relationship. It was barely a thing. It couldn't be a relationship. Regina was not ready for that. She could feel the panic rising, and she pushed it down and misdirected via her usual weapon of choice: sarcasm. "Moving rather fast, aren't we, sheriff?"

To her relief, Emma actually winced a bit. "I didn't mean it that way. Relationship, friendship...you know."

The brunette gave a hum in response, deciding to move on lest they slam into waters neither were ready to navigate. "And comic books? You couldn't read something more age appropriate? I swear, I have two eleven year olds living in this house." The blonde's grin at that comment only served to make Regina feel that weird, warm feeling again. She tried to ignore it. "Alright, we'll stop by the bookstore as well. While you and Henry look at comics, I'll sit in the cafe and drink a latte. It's been some time since I've had a decent latte." She picked up her burrito, noting Emma had finished her own. "Go wake Henry while I finish breakfast, and we'll go shortly."

Standing to put her dishes in the dishwasher, the sheriff weakly protested. "I read other books. Staying up all night gives a lot of time to read. Comics are just an added bonus! But hey, you enjoy your latte while we buy tons of comics." Regina could have sworn Emma winked at her as she headed to the stairs. "I'm off to get the kid."

* * *

**We may post more today. I'm not sure yet. So, if we don't, let me just say thank you for reading this, and I hope you're also following twitcherthedrunk's updates as well because she's doing an amazing job of writing up Emma's point of view. In fact, I feel like you may be missing out on half the story if you're not reading her updates, though you can still follow along just fine if you don't. (PS, we're also on AO3)  
**

**As always, reviews are always appreciated.**


	15. September 8th, Backyard under the Tree

_**Chapter Fifteen**_  
_**Sept. 8th, Sunday Night**_  
_**Mayor's House, Backyard under the Apple Tree**_

The day trip to Boston had been a resounding success. Henry had thoroughly enjoyed himself, and he seemed to genuinely like the fact that both of his mothers were spending time together with him. At Crate & Barrel, he had spent most of the time pointing out items he thought would make life easier around the house with Emma wholeheartedly agreeing. He and the sheriff had argued their point, whined, begged, and pleaded until Regina finally broke down and agreed to buy a toaster that was red as opposed to the stainless steel one she was looking to purchase.

They seemed very happy with the choice, so the purchase didn't seem as ill advised as Regina would have otherwise felt it probably would have been.

At the bookstore, she had made a beeline for the coffee shop inside, ordered a latte and scone, and settled at a table with the perfect vantage point to watch Emma and Henry browse through the comic books and graphic novels. She smiled as she watched their eyes light up with excitement over various discoveries. She even chuckled once or twice when obvious disagreements crept up over who the better superheros were.

Regina didn't know why there was any question about this, of course. Clearly, Deadpool was the frontrunner for the title of best comic book superhero, or anithero as the case may be. She'd have to forgive Henry for not knowing about Deadpool. There was no way she was allowing their son to read that until he was at least 16, but Emma had no excuses. They would have to have a talk later when Henry wasn't around.

On the way home, Henry had talked their ears off about all of the exciting things that were happening in his comics, the fun items he'd seen at the store he thought they should buy the next time they went, and how excited he was to show his friends his new things.

It was the best trip Regina had ever had with Henry, and she cherished every moment of it. The fact Emma was with them didn't diminish the experience in the least. In fact, Regina felt that having the blonde with them may have actually made it all the better, which should have frustrated her but didn't.

As the evening wound down, Emma suggested they enjoy the weather outside. It sounded like a lovely idea to Regina. It was clear Henry was done with them for the night. He had eaten dinner and taken off to his bedroom to indulge in more comic book reading, much to their amusement.

Regina spent some time spot cleaning the kitchen, went to check on Henry, and finally worked up enough nerve to go into her backyard. She found Emma sprawled on a blanket she had laid out beneath the apple tree. The moon was a sliver in the sky, but the stars were bright and the light streaming out from the small kitchen window was just enough to allow the young woman to read where she reclined, but what really caught Regina's attention was how Emma looked while she laid there reading. She, once again, had the ethereal look she'd had that night at the steakhouse.

The sight, once again, took Regina's breath. She had to force herself to take in air before stepping off of the porch and walking over to the blanket. "I just checked in on Henry," she gently called out as she made her way over to her tree. "He's asleep in the middle of his bed, surrounded by comic books. I don't know how he could possibly be comfortable in all of that, but I've learned over the years that he could likely sleep on a log if he was so of mind."

She carefully stepped out of her shoes and sat down next to Emma on the blanket, glancing over to see what book was in the other woman's hands. "Are you enjoying your book? I have to admit that I was rather surprised to see you pick up something other than a graphic novel."

"I am enjoying my book." Emma closed the book in question, turning her attention to the older woman. "Since I didn't have a lot to do in...well, jail, I read a lot. And I kept the habit up. I've read a little bit of every genre, I think. This is...really great." She gave the book in her lap a little pat, and Regina's eyes flickered down to see the book and then take note that Emma was wearing shorts. The brunette blanched slightly and quickly looked up again. "Thanks for taking us to the bookstore. Did you enjoy your latte?"

"In fact, I did." Talking was good. Talking meant her eyes weren't likely to wander. Regina had never had this particular issue before. It was unnerving. "And I also enjoyed watching you and Henry look through books together." A memory flashed through her mind. She decided to share. Emma had shared something of herself, and, perhaps, it was only fair to return the favor. "When I was a young girl in the Enchanted Forest, I read quite a bit. It was one of the few forms of entertainment I had. Books are a wonderful thing, aren't they? They can take you away to someplace else, if only for a short time."

Books were one of the few ways she could truly escape her mother, but, even in her books, the respite was short lived. There was always something her mother wanted of her, and she rarely lived up to the expectation. By all intents and purposes, she was her mother's prisoner, and reading was her only means to see what life outside of the walls of her home must be like. She and Emma had both been prisoners, but for very different reasons. "I suppose you and I have more in common than you may think."

Regina could see the clear comprehension in Emma's eyes, and she felt relieved that someone understood everything implied by that statement. "Yeah. That's why I read a bunch of books in jail. What were you trying to escape in the Enchanted Forest? Trolls? Giants?"

She wasn't ready to share everything, especially regarding her mother. Perhaps she never would be. "More on that another time? What do you think about moving this onto the back porch? It's lovely out tonight, and I have a bottle of red that I was thinking of opening, which I'd rather drink while sitting upright in a chair."

Emma stood, allowing the topic change without so much as a protest, much to older woman's relief. "I'd love some wine. I'll grab the leftover turnover, too. If you aren't hungry, I certainly am. Would you like ice cream to go with it?"

Wine with turnovers and ice cream? She really was dealing with an 11 year old. "No, thank you." She stood, slipped her shoes back on, and followed the blonde toward the house, her mind swimming with memories from her childhood. There was so much history there, and no one knew it. If they knew some of it, they didn't want to know it all, and Regina had never felt compelled tell. On the other hand, Emma kept asking, and she was earnest and sincere. Regina believed the young woman truly wanted to know, and, unlike the cricket, the sheriff wasn't trying to help fix her or change her. She only wanted to know.

Regina found she finally wanted to tell. "If I were to explain what I was trying to escape from in the Enchanted Forest when I was a girl," she offered as they stepped inside to retrieve the wine and food, "I'm afraid I'd need something a bit stronger than wine. But, for the sake of attempting to create some sort of…" she had no idea what she was doing nor why, but she knew she going to do it anyway. It felt like this was the right time. "something ...suffice it to say that being a royal has severe limitations."

So many, too many to count. She pulled out the bottle of red and uncorked it as she spoke. "As a princess, you are expected from an early age to learn and know much regarding the royal court and the politics therein. Whereas other children your age may be out playing or assisting their families with work in the fields, you are expected to study, focus, and learn quickly so as to never make a mistake or a misstep because one, single action done incorrectly could literally mean the difference between war and peace." With a very burdened sigh, she poured two glasses. "Being the child of royalty means never being a child."

Picking the glasses up, she turned to watch Emma fight with the ice cream. "There is much to escape from in a world such as that, I assure you, and you have met my mother." Thank everything she could think of that her mother hadn't followed Snow and Emma back through the portal. Regina wasn't sure she could have handled that.

Enough of that train of thought. It could only lead to another sleepless night. "You know, on second thought, ice cream sounds nice, thank you."

Smirking, she set one glass down and sipped at her own as she watched the young woman grunt and curse under her breath while she tried to scoop out the ice cream. Sometimes, it's the small things that keep you going, such as watching the savior battle it out with a tub of vanilla and lose. It took a little time, but Emma finally managed to scoop out a good portion, and she pushed it toward Regina with a look of absolute triumph on her face. "Here," she gave Regina a little bow, and the brunette actually chuckled. "your ice cream."

As they settled into the chairs on the back porch, Emma took her by surprised, asking in a scared voice she had never heard before, "What if my parents expect me to learn all of that stuff? How can I learn all of that now? How on earth could…" The blonde trailed off, blinking out into the emptiness of the backyard.

"There is no kingdom for them to go back to. You've seen what's left of our land. There's nothing for you to learn. I very much doubt they expect anything from you but for you to find your true love and be happy. They're idealists in that way." As disgusting as that fact was, it was true. Snow and Charming wouldn't want anything more than for their family to be happy.

The silence was palpable as they both stared out into the darkness of the backyard. She waited for Emma to say something else, hoping it would be about Snow White or her Prince Charming. Her hopes were answered. Unfortunately, the next conversational change wasn't much better. "That sounds terrible for you. I can't even imagine...do you feel more free here? Now that you don't have all of the...restrictions. Is that the right word? Expectations, maybe?"

Though Regina wasn't happy the topic of conversation had been turned back to her, the older woman understood needing to shift focus off of one's self, and she allowed it for no other reason than she understood from where the other woman was coming. "Every world has restrictions. In some ways, I am much more free here. In other ways, the restrictions are far more painful." Being separated from Henry, for example, had been excruciating. "But, unlike the Enchanted Forest, most of the restrictions I feel here are of my own making." Graham no longer being around came immediately to mind.

"Yeah, I could see that." Emma seemed to think on it for a time while she finished her ice cream. "I have met your mother." She placed her empty bowl next to Regina's on the table between them. "Let's say the experience of her trying to take my heart is something I never want to repeat. And, if that's who you grew up with, I can imagine she would be...extra-demanding." To say the least. "Putting it lightly."

"Yes, precisely." Demanding was one word for it. Impossible was another. Yet another would have been… Regina's mind froze. Had she just heard what she thought she'd heard? Surely not. "A moment. Did I hear you correctly? Did you just say that mother tried to take your heart?" She slowly set her wine down and turned in her chair to fully face the blonde. "Are you… I mean, it's not as though I… no, I can't say that, but she… is it… is it still there?" Panic completely flooded her. This couldn't be happening again. Nothing had even started yet, and her mother was already about to end it. Her voice was weak as she asked, quietly, eyes falling to Emma's chest, "Your heart?"

Regina could feel a cold sweat start to break out as a chill ran up her spine. Was her mother watching her even now? Had she orchestrated this entire thing between her and Emma? "Thankfully." Emma's reply was matter-of-fact, but Regina couldn't take anything for face value. What if it wasn't Emma talking? What if it never had been? "I never used to believe in true love...but I've seen things happen here that...make me have to believe, I suppose. I mean, she tried to take my heart, but she couldn't pull it out of my chest."

The brunette's eyes widened, and she finally tore her gaze away from the spot she knew Emma's heart would be to the young woman's eyes. How was that possible? How could her mother have failed to take a heart? She'd never heard of such a thing.

"If you don't believe me, you can," Emma's voice was uncomfortable yet assured, which only caused Regina to question even more what was going on. The blonde was hardly anything less than self assured and cocky. "check for yourself. I mean, I'd be suspicious if someone told me what I just told you."

Damn right she was suspicious. She was also terrified at the prospect that her mother had been orchestrating yet another life lesson on why love is weakness, and now she was shocked. Emma Swan had offered to let Regina, the Evil Queen herself, take her heart. What kind of trust did the young woman have in her to offer such a thing? "You would trust me to do that?"

The brunette watched while Emma scooted to the front of the chair and answered in a determined voice, "I'm going to trust you." Tapping her chest with two fingers, she beckoned Regina over. "Come over here, and see for yourself."

Looking back toward the door, Regina had a million thoughts run through her mind. Should she try it? Should she not? Should she call in witnesses to prove this was a test to ensure her mother wasn't controlling the savior? Would anyone believe her if she did ask for a witness? What would their son say if he were to wake up and come searching for them only to find her hand buried wrist deep inside his younger mother's chest? Should she risk? Could she risk not checking it? Could she survive it if she found that Emma had no heart? Could she survive not knowing? After spending so much time with the other woman and growing honestly fond of her in a way that she hadn't been fond of anyone since… since she was a very young girl, she wasn't sure she could handle life if Cora had taken another heart Regina considered as one worth protecting.

She had to know. There was too much at stake to leave the question unanswered, and Emma was volunteering to allow Regina to check. The older woman had to take it.

Turning back from the door, Regina moved her chair in front of Emma's and sat on the edge, inches from the other woman. "I sincerely hope Henry doesn't wake up and find us doing this. He'll never believe me if I tell him I'm 'only checking'." Slowly, carefully, she reached forward and placed her hand over Emma's heart. "This may hurt. There's nothing I can do to stop that, but I'll try to minimize it."

As Emma reassured with, "I'm sure it won't be that…okay…" Regina pushed forward, pushing her hand into the blonde's chest and quickly finding her heart. She stopped, wrapping her fingers gently around the organ. She considered what she was holding in her hand while Emma rambled a bit, "That's...not as bad as last time. It's weird that you have your hand in my chest."

Regina looked up from where her hand disappeared inside Emma to the other woman's eyes. Yes, weird was one way of putting it. It was also strange. She had held many hearts in her hand over the years, but this was very different. It radiated love and peacefulness. It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. "Your heart is very… warm." It was so, very warm, almost inviting. "It must be because you're a product of true love." Cocking her head to the side and letting her eyes fall back down to Emma's chest, she said in an awed voice, "It pulses with it. Such an interesting sensation, to have the literal manifestation of true love in one's hand." Swallowing down the lump forming in her throat, she frowned. Was this what she was trying to fight against when the young woman was attempting to make advances toward her or when she was simply trying to be her friend? This honest, pure love? Regina couldn't think of a single reason why she would ever reject such a thing. "I… it's oddly comforting."

She heard more than saw the smirk as Emma broke the reverence she was starting to feel. In classic corny timing, she said lightly, "You..have my heart in your hand. I used to roll my eyes at that cliche, and yet...here you are."

"I think…" Regina removed her hand, sitting back and wiping at her forehead. The entire experience had been a little heady, and, had Emma not just cracked the worst joke she'd heard in a decade or longer, she would probably still be there simply holding onto her heart like it was a lifeline. Time to regroup. "I think I'm going to go back inside for another glass of wine."

"Well, if you're going inside, bring me back something stronger than wine, okay?" Regina was already moving her chair back into place when Emma mumbled, "You can't just run away after that…"

Was she? "I'm not running away. I'm…" What? What was she doing? She was running; the sheriff was right. Now was not the time, and Regina was not the type. "I'm taking a seat in my chair because we probably should continue this conversation without alcohol involved." Drinking would only make this worse, she was sure of it.

Whatever this was, it was a far cry from anything she had envisioned when she worked a plan to force the young blonde to live in her guest room so Henry would be home where he belonged. What had just happened went far beyond any level of trust that should exist between two people simply trying to make a better life for a shared son. "Emma, what are we doing? What do we plan to accomplish with this madness? I hope you realize that nothing I'm involved in has ever ended well." In fact, she couldn't think of a single thing she'd done in her entire life that had ever ended well. "You're bound to get hurt, or worse, by the time this is all over." Of all the possible ways she could feel regarding that statement, fear that Emma would actually be hurt in some way was the least likely emotional response, yet that is exactly how she felt. She truly didn't want her to be hurt, and she was positive that would be exactly what would happen.

"I know you're not here just for Henry, but is it really in Henry's best interest for us to continue this?" If Emma were to get hurt, it would hurt Henry. Regina wasn't sure she was ready for that domino effect simply for a few, brief moments of personal happiness. She was trying to work beyond thinking of her own needs, for a change. Henry's needs mattered here, too. His were more important.

Emma actually scoffed at her. "Why am I bound to get hurt, or worse? Is it because of a track record? Or because I'd be in danger? I don't know what we're doing, because I don't want to do anything to...push you. Or really, anything to scare you off or make you think I'm going to leave or that there would be some kind of ultimatum where you would have to have a relationship with me to be around Henry." Regina narrowed her eyes. Isn't that how this entire affair started?

"Maybe I just like you." No one 'just likes' the Evil Queen. Even as she listened, Regina was already shaking her head slowly in the negative. "Maybe I just think you're a really gorgeous woman, and I'm attracted to you, and I think you and I might have more in common in our history and what we like and don't like even though we come from two entirely different worlds." Perhaps so, but commonality doesn't justify sacrificing everything Emma would part with simply to be Regina's real friend, let alone anything… romantic. "Maybe right now I just want to get to know you better and tell you a bit about myself as well." Regina found she rather liked the idea of both, even as alarms sounded that it was a very bad idea to do either.

"Maybe I'm rambling now." The brunette stopped shaking her head and gave a little smile. Yes, the other woman was rambling, but maybe it was what they both needed to hear right now. "But I know that you can't scare me off, and I know that whatever happens, Henry cares about your happiness too."

Her happiness? Regina had decided during the time the sheriff and her mother were trapped in the Enchanted Forest that her happiness didn't matter. Henry's mattered. "Emma," she sounded tired, even to herself. This was a conversation older than time. "Evil Queens don't get happy endings. That's not how these things are done, and, even if I could be happy, I don't know that the fates would allow it for very long. The last time I had that chance, it crumbled to dust in the blink of an eye." Quite literally. "Happiness is a fleeting thing for me."

Opening her eyes, she wiped at the corner of one as she stood. This was more than she could handle. She was trying avoid thinking of herself. She was trying to get her son back, to make sure he was happy, and to keep Emma from getting hurt, which was a new concept altogether. She wasn't ready nor really capable of handling all of this in the moment. "I can't keep talking about this tonight. The wine is making me weepy and a little needy, I think." She pushed herself up from her chair and walked on less than sturdy legs to the back door. "I think I'm going to go inside and to bed, if it's all the same to you?"

"We're not in the Enchanted Forest anymore. Maybe you can have a happy ending." Emma's words made her pause before she opened the door. Could that really be possible? Maybe, but tonight was not the night for her to keep thinking on it. She needed to get away from this before she became even more emotional. "Something to...think about. If you need me, I'll be right here."

As the door softly closed behind her, she heard Emma's voice weakly float in, "Goodnight, Regina."


	16. September 9th, Master Bedroom

**_Chapter Sixteen_**  
**_Sept. 9th, Monday Morning_**  
**_Mayor's House, Second Floor Master Bedroom_**

"Reginaaaaaa!" The voice floating through her bedroom door barely registered with her. She wanted to ignore it. It had been a long night for her. Sleep hadn't come easily, and she'd gotten up early to fix Henry food for breakfast and lunch and then take him to school. After attempting to read the paper for twenty minutes, she'd finally given up and returned to bed. "Come on, we're going to be late! Are you ever going to come out of there today?" There was pounding on her door. Emma Swan was treading on thin ice. If she didn't go away and leave her alone soon, she was going to find herself gagged and tied to something. "Henry wanted to be at the park twenty minutes ago! Something about volunteering and stuff." Henry? Had the sheriff finally lost her mind?

"Miss Swan," she hissed, sitting up and yelling at the door, "it's Monday. Henry's been at school for two hours, and I've been up and have since returned to bed." Why wasn't the sheriff at work? Why was she here, annoying her? "Stop banging on my bedroom door. Either come in here and speak to me like a civilized person or go back to bed." She let herself fall back into the fluffy comfort of her bed and rolled over, snuggling back down into the bedding.

" I…" She smirked at the complete and utter confusion in the blonde's voice. "But he...what? He was just...right here…" She didn't care how confused the young woman was, she was certain Henry hadn't been 'right here'. He'd been at school for hours. She would know. She took him herself. The sheriff probably dreamed the entire thing up.

She could actually hear Emma's confused and frustrated huff, even through the door. "I'll be right back." She honestly didn't care. She was going back to sleep.

* * *

_**Sept. 9th, Monday Afternoon**_  
_**Mayor's House, Den**_

Regina awoke about a few hours later, feeling refreshed and much less cranky than when her wake up call had been Emma's voice whining through her door. She took her time showering and getting dressed. There really wasn't a reason to rush. She had nowhere to be and no one to answer to anymore.

It actually took her longer than usual to pick an outfit for the day, not that it especially mattered. She finally settled on a pair of loose white slacks, matching heels, and a black and white blouse with red accents here and there in the pattern. As she checked herself in the mirror, she chuckled. She matched her house's decor. Unintentional though it may have been, it seemed oddly appropriate. She was basically a fixture in her home these days.

With a sigh, she headed downstairs to the study to pick up the book she was reading before she made her way to the kitchen for food. However, her plans completely shifted when she saw Emma sprawled out across her sofa, drool running down one corner of her mouth and hair in complete disarray.

Coming to a stop beside the sofa near Emma's head, she rolled her eyes and called out in a sharp voice, "Wake up, Emma. You've been asleep on my sofa long enough. It's already noon."

"Huh?" The sheriff slowly sat up, smacking her lips a little while she tried to shake off sleep. "When did I fall asleep on the couch? What time did you say it was?"

"Noon." Regina crossed her arms over her chest and broke into her best mayoral voice. "I realize this town doesn't often require the services of it's sheriff, but I find it hard to believe that you aren't needed for something at the station. Come on, get up." Despite how annoyed she was that the blonde was sleeping when she should be working, she had to admit that Emma did look a little… cute at the moment. She was disoriented and sleepy eyed and, again, Regina saw Henry. She let her arms drop to her sides, and her voice softened. "Let's go to Granny's for lunch, my treat, and then you can actually go to work." At Emma's questioning look, she quickly explained. "I have a few errands to run today."

The blonde scowled in thought, and it was all Regina could do to stop herself from smiling at the look. She'd seen that look hundreds of times on their son's face when he was trying to do something new or trying to remember something important. "I was supposed to do something...can't remember what, though." Emma shrugged and stood up, brushing her hands over her wrinkled clothes. "Oh well. Lunch, you say?"

"I assume," much to the older woman's relief, she still had her scowl firmly in place and voice was properly intoned for chastisement despite the fact that, on the inside, she was really enjoying this little scene, "you went off to see if Henry was in his room or at school. I have no idea how you wound up here, but, yes, I did say lunch. I don't feel inclined to cook today." She had before, but now that she'd thought about Granny's apple pancakes, she had a craving. "Before we leave, will you go fix your hair? Ordinarily, I'd let you go out however you'd like, but you…" Emma placed her hands on her hips and a hard look on her face, which made her all the more… cute. It wasn't something Regina easily admitted, but it was getting harder by the moment to avoid it. Emma Swan was cute looking when she was flustered and a little irritated.

Regina's voice broke slightly from the mayoral tone she'd been able to maintain up until now. "Oh, do stop scowling at me, Miss Swan. You look like a cow licked the backside of your head." She glanced away to try to keep her composure intact, but to no avail. The smile was on her face, and there was nothing she could do to wipe it away. In fact, she was even chuckling a bit. Instead of trying to block her amusement, she turned back, a sparkle of mischief in her eye, as she offered helpfully, "I have a curling iron and plenty of hair products at your disposal to fix that. Now, please do."

"I'll stop scowling when you stop laughing at me!" Regina bit her bottom lip in an attempt to comply, not that it was very helpful. "I can't help the way I look in the morning. You're a fine one to talk though, I saw the way your hair was sticking out every which way the other morning! And, was that a bit of smeared makeup I detected leftover on your face?" No, it most certainly was not. She shook her head in the negative, but Regina didn't have it in her to bother to argue the point. She was chuckling too hard at the cowlick on the backside of the blonde's head, which moved and swayed in the wind as the young woman ranted.

"Yes, I think it was. Excuse me," Emma turned on her heels and stalked toward the door, "I must prepare for the day."

"Well," Regina smirked, watching the other woman go, the air of indignation following her completely nulled by the bouncing cowlick at the back of her head, "someone's melodramatic this afternoon."

* * *

_**Sept. 9th, Monday Afternoon**_  
_**Granny's Diner**_

They took separate cars, arriving at the diner at the same time, and entering the establishment together. Once again, Regina could feel and see all eyes on them as they walked to her prefered table in the back. It was all she could do to not stare each and every one of them down until they turned to look elsewhere. Somehow, she mused, staring them down with a death glare would probably be far less productive than ignoring, though not half as much fun.

She took the seat which allowed her back to be against the wall, and Emma slide into the seat across the way. She noticed the quick, uncomfortable look that passed over the sheriff's face, and it occurred to her the other woman probably hated having her back exposed just as much as she did. She briefly considered allowing Emma to sit beside her, but that consideration evaporated when Ruby Lucas stepped up to take their order. The normally talkative waitress stumbled over almost every word she said.

Something was clearly amiss.

On high alert, Regina scanned the room again to find people glancing in their direction while some openly stared. There was absolutely no reason for it. This wasn't the first time she and the sheriff had shared a lunch. With Henry under Emma's care, it had become common practice to meet at Granny's as neutral ground for discussing their son. Of course, they no longer needed the neutral ground, but the sight of them sitting at the diner's table together with some sense of civility between them shouldn't gainer so much attention.

When her attention pulled back to her own table, she finally noticed Emma watching her with an expectant look. "Must they stare at us?" She felt ill at ease the longer they sat there with everyone making note of their every move. "It's as if they've never seen two people eat lunch before."

"They are staring at me." A cocky grin spread across the blonde's features. Regina cocked an eyebrow, but she smirked. "I look fantastic today. Don't let it go to your head." That earned an eyeroll from the former mayor.

"I'll admit your princess curls are a tad distracting today." Had she just said that aloud? She clearly needed a cup of coffee. The caffeine deprivation was obviously interfering with her usual mental filters. "But, that aside, it's not you they're staring at." Her eyes quickly scanned the crowd again to reassure herself she was seeing what she thought she was seeing. "I believe they're staring at us, which leads me to believe that waiter posted the picture he took of us Saturday night."

Pulling out her phone, she was already bringup up the page when she asked, "Do you remember what his twitter account was? He threatened us with it…" The little, insolent wrech. She still felt as though Emma should have allowed her to turn him into a toad. What had been his twitter name? He had been so full of himself; she wasn't sure how she'd been able to forget it. What had it been? Oh yes, IagoTheGreat. "Never mind, I remember. I'm going to check it on my phone. Give me a moment." She quickly ran a search and waited for his feed to load.

"Hmm, if he did I'll probably have to arrest him for blackmail. He could probably use a few nights in jail." He could use a few nights as a toad. "If I hadn't been so distracted by you before, I could have done it then….still could." Regina glanced up. Emma had been distracted by her? That hadn't been a one way feeling? "Why didn't you just have me arrest him?" She quirked her head. She didn't want him arrested. She wanted to turn him into a toad. Hadn't Emma been listening? "Did he post it?"

Checking her phone, she allowed her exasperation to show on her face. There she and Emma were, sitting at a dimly lit table, both dressed elegantly, both smiling demurely at each other while a candle flickered in the background and a shared dessert sat between them on the table. The tweet read, 'Swan-Mills Date Night'. To her surprise it had been retweeted a number of times, and the conversation string showed a great deal more positive comments than negative. How interesting. "Yes, with a caption that reads, 'Swan-Mills Date Night.' It's been retweeted 156 times already. I didn't realize this town had that many people on twitter. Live and learn, I suppose."

With a shrug, she commented dryly, "Honestly, I don't know what's worse, the fact he posted this picture despite my threats or the fact your last name is first in the lineup. I suppose I should be thankful we at least look like a fetching couple. Take a look for yourself." Turning the phone around to show Emma, she asked with a raise of her eyebrow, "What do you think?"

The smirk on the blonde's face morphed into a broad smile, "We do look pretty good together." She gave Regina a mischievous look. "And honestly, Swan-Mills sounds so much better than Mills-Swan. If you put your name first, the S sounds clash, and it hurts the ears. It's just harmonics. Sounds like a snake got in the middle of it all." Regina switched her phone off, and tossed it back into her handbag. She couldn't argue. The sheriff made a very valid point. That didn't make it any less annoying, however.

The brunette huffed, picking up her coffee to take a sip as she commented from behind the rim, "There's a snake, alright, but it has nothing to do with us."

"What do you want me to do? Arrest him? Rough him up a bit?" Yes, all of the above would be just fine with Regina. She still wanted to turn him into a toad. "I feel like, if we ignore it, people will eventually get used to it and go about their lives. If we get mad and blow up about it, it'll give them that much more power, and then there will be more people taking pictures of us together," Regina started to object when Emma pulled out the only thing that would make her stop and give pause. "...and more problems for Henry. We have to just...remain calm." The brunette set her coffee down and leaned back into her chair. Calm wasn't something she ordinarily did. "Even when I want to rip his head off his little pencil neck." Well, wasn't this a pleasant surprise? Regina was starting to think the little toad hadn't bothered Emma a single bit. It was nice to know she was wrong about that assumption.

"I suppose you're right. Calling attention to it will only serve to make it worse, but not saying anything at all in our defense indicates that we're agreeable to the assumption." She sighed, scooting her empty cup to the end of the table in the hopes Ruby would stop whispering with Leroy long enough to refill it. "Guilty through our silence, like pleading the 5th."

Once again, hurt passed through Emma's eyes, and Regina immediately wanted to fix it. She waved her hand as if to dismiss something. "Not that any of that matters, of course. I'm accustomed to being assumed guilty with no chance of pleading my innocence." To be fair, she was rarely innocent for most of the charges of which she was accused. "However, I would prefer that my private life, such as it is, remain just that, private. At some point, it would be nice if the entire world didn't know everything about us, our family, and our love life."

She glanced over to see Ruby and Leroy staring suspiciously at them. Making eye contact with the waitress and narrowing her eyes, she pointed to her empty cup and felt pleased when Ruby stiffened and then headed for the coffee pot. When Regina turned back, she caught Emma giving her the biggest smirk she'd ever seen on the other woman's face. "Why are you smirking?"

"Well, I was smirking because you said I was right." That earned the sheriff another eye roll. "But now I'm smiling because you said us, our family, and our love life. I'm...well I can't stop smiling." Wait a moment. Had she said that? Regina's eyes grew a little wide as she realized that, yes, in fact she had said all of that. How could she have let that slip out? When had she started thinking about Emma Swan in any terms that would include the blonde's love life with her own?

"Are we agreeable to the assumption?" The question made Regina give a slow blink. She honestly wasn't sure of the answer. In fact, she was confused, and she hated it. Regina Mills was not someone who should be this confused over her own life. When had things gotten so out of hand? "If not, we can make a statement otherwise. But not out of anger. Just something simple."

"I…" She what? She wasn't agreeable? She was? She wanted apple pie? At this point, she had no idea what she wanted. "Well, you and I are not…" Friends? Lovers? Acquaintances? Playing house in the mayor's mansion as if that's the most normal thing in the world? She winced. "It's all rather complicated at the moment, and I really don't think…"

She stopped talking and ran a hand over her face. Complicated was the simple version of what this all was starting to become. "Hmm, it would seem that, once again, you've put me at a loss for words."

There were very few who could make the claim that they'd put Regina into her current state of confused emotions. There was a battle going on between what she logistically knew should happen and what she found that she wanted to happen.

This was all new territory for her. Never had there been a time in the brunette's life where she hadn't simply taken what she wanted. Now? Now she considered every move. She took into consideration Henry's feelings, needs, and wants. What's more, she was also starting to consider all of those things for Emma as well.

It was maddening, the effect the young woman had on her. Of all the people in the town of Storybrooke to finally break through her walls and manage to wiggle their way inside her heart, it had to be Emma Swan. Of course it did. Of course it had to be the daughter of Snow White, the Savior of the town, and the one person who had destroyed everything.

But, she found she missed Emma during the day when the woman was at work, and she was starting to admit she truly enjoyed the younger woman's company and her attentions. The sheriff had recently asked Regina about her happiness, and the brunette had blown her off. The truth was that, the longer the blonde stayed in her home, the happier she was. It wasn't something she was ready to admit aloud, even to the cricket, but it was something she was willing to admit to herself as she watched Emma watching her and patiently waiting for her to put her thoughts together.

For the first time in Regina's life, she had someone she thought might actually understand her. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to at least try. "Emma," her voice was surprisingly steady given the massive amounts of turmoil going on inside of her, "we're doing this backwards. Grant it, I've never really done this kind of thing before. As a very young woman, my marriage was, essentially, arranged, and Daniel and I didn't have the luxury of dating. Queens do not date. We take what we want. It's one of the perks of being royalty."

She gave an almost apologetic smile. "Here, in Storybrooke, I had Graham for a time…" Her mind snapped to the night she'd crushed his heart, and her face flashed to dismay and guilt. She tried to shake it off and move on. "And, then, of course, after the curse was broken, no one would so much as look at me, let alone consider something more"

Emma opened her mouth to speak, but Regina held her hand up to stop her. "The point I'm trying, and eloquently failing, to make is that I understand two people are supposed to date prior to living together. Isn't that how this all goes? I suppose, in answer to your question, I'm not disagreeable to the notion, but I can't help but feel we're about to become a very large cliché." What was it? Lesbians rent U-Hauls on the second date?

"That's what people are supposed to do in this world. Was it like that in your world? If marriage was arranged for you...then you didn't have a say in the matter at all." No, and that was the point she was trying to make. Regina never had many choices that were truly her own.

"Why don't you tell me what you actually want? Forget about this picture, forget about anyone in town, forget even about what I would feel or Henry would feel. What do you want? And don't try to weasel out of it by saying you can't forget about Henry's feelings this time." She had to give the woman credit. Emma was becoming exceptionally good at knowing what the brunette might say next in order to avoid something.

"Your habit of putting me into corners is rather distasteful, Miss Swan." Regina made a face. One of these days, she'd remember she'd lost that bet. "Emma." The blonde smiled at her. She groaned. "Oh, whatever."

Brushing past her embarrassment at being flustered, she pointed at the woman across from her. "You seem to be forgetting the entire reason you were pulled away from your parents, this town was cursed, and Henry felt like he was going insane is because all I've done for most of my life is do exactly what I wanted." And her actions had gotten her exactly nothing she craved.

"I'm trying to be a better person, which means I should be taking into consideration other people's wants and needs." She shrugged. "At least, this is what the cricket tells me."

"And… honestly… I really don't know what I want anymore." Not entirely, though she was starting to slowly figure it out. "For decades, what I wanted was Daniel, even after he died. There were times when it looked possible I'd get him back, which is why Whale is here. He and I made an agreement, and then he lied to me."

The memories of those events flashed through her mind, and she hardened. "Did you know Whale did eventually resurrect Daniel? I kept Daniel's body perfectly preserved with a spell. He was entombed in my family's mausoleum, and Whale found him. He… he turned him into a monster." She closed her eyes against the feelings that came from recalling everything all over again. "My Daniel was in there, somewhere, but he was buried under an atrocity… a thing that went on a murdering spree through town while you and your mother were trapped in the Enchanted Forest." She took in a steadying breath as she slowly opened her eyes. "I eventually had to remove the spell preserving his body to prevent him from hurting anyone else. He told me, before I removed the spell to…"

The lump in her throat threatened to choke her, and she could feel the tears forming. She would not cry in public. She wouldn't give these people that pleasure. Rolling her eyes up to stop the tears, she said in a shaky voice, "I… I'm sorry. That's not what you asked me, is it?" She pulled herself back together as best she could, refocusing on the young woman across from her. "You want to know what I want?" Her shoulders sagged a touch, and her face seemed to fall as she replied, "I want to be happy."

"If we weren't in public, and it wouldn't add to the rumors," Emma's voice was gentle, "I would hug the breath out of you right now." She raised her eyebrows at the older woman and gave her a deeply serious look. "Expect that later."

Regina shifted uneasily in her seat, "I'm not really a hugger. Physical contact makes me… uncomfortable."

The sheriff shrugged, but it was clear she had every intention of going through with the threat of a hug at some later point in time. "Thank you for being honest with me. If you think you can make a happy life here, one that includes Henry and me, then I'm willing to try. If you don't think I'm adding to your happiness, then we'll just be friends. There's no need to add stress. Maybe we can find happiness together?" Could they? Would the universe allow that?

"That said, I'd just like to point out I hate the term happiness. It sounds like a cliche." The young woman scrunched her face up in disgust. Regina couldn't help but smile at the expression. It was a touch on the adorable side. "Not to invalidate your feelings, but, if we screw up happiness somehow, that doesn't mean we failed and we get to run off. We gotta keep trying at it, and give it its best shot."

She was right. Regina knew that this would take work if she were to seriously attempt any kind of relationship at all with the other woman. But, if she didn't try, would it bother her for the rest of her life? The short answer was yes. "Emma, you… I find myself laughing for the first time in decades when you're around. Somehow, you manage to make me smile, mostly despite myself. I find that I care about what makes you happy, and, somewhere along the way, I stopped wanting to hurt you."

"If there's more to be found between us, time will tell. Right now, what we don't need is the prying eyes of the masses already judging us before anything can happen, but, then again, I've come to hate having to hide things away from them. It's tiring." More than that. It was exhausting on so many levels there were no words to fully describe it.

"I do want to be happy, and I'm learning that happiness is something one must constantly work to achieve. At least, here, in this world, it is. What's the first step toward that?" Regina shrugged, looking honestly lost for an answer. "I'm not sure. Perhaps it's allowing a slightly clumsy, blonde sheriff with a persistent stubborn streak to sit beside me at this table and hug me in public?" Baby steps were in order. She was ready to take this one.

Emma's smile beamed. "You like my stubbornness. I can tell." Quickly standing, she moved around, picked Regina's hands up in her own, pulling her to her feet. "Come here and prepare to be hugged like you've never been hugged before." Regina grunted in surprise as strong, lithe arms wrapped around her. She barely heard the gasps of surprise from the other diner patrons when Emma said in an exceptionally cheery voice, "Tell me when you need air."

The brunette awkwardly returned the hug, thinking that might get Emma to stop. Instead, the blonde happily said, "Maybe this is the best beginning and ending all in one. The end of animosity, and the beginning of...something awesome."

That last comment made Regina groan. For all of twenty minutes, she had completely forgotten Emma was the spawn of Prince Charming. It was the best twenty minutes she'd had all day. "I said a hug," she proclaimed loud enough for Emma to hear her. "I didn't say you could start a Hallmark Card business."

Forcibly pulling back, she gave the blonde a dirty look. "Stop hugging me. We've made enough of a scene." Brushing a hand down her clothes to realign them, she glanced about the room to see the scandalized looks on most of the people's faces, though she was surprised to find Ruby Lucas looked more pleased than scandalized. Straightening, she turned back to the sheriff. "And you have a job to go to, don't you?"

"I care enough to hug the very best." Regina shot a mocking look at Emma and gave her light push to the shoulder. "And yes, I have to go and take care of someone...thing. I have to go take care of something." The brunette gave an approving smile. That was something that would earn the young woman bonus points in her book. There would be even more points added if she would allow Regina to then turn him into a toad. "And patrol. And I need this coffee to go. I had some strange dreams last night, and I think coffee will fix it."

Though she caught the fact Emma hadn't slept well, she decided to let it go. The other people in the diner were staring daggers at her and shooting looks of confusion at Emma. It was time for a tactical retreat. As they made their way to the register to pay for their meal, Regina calmly commented, "If you do 'happen' to run into that waiter from the other night, remember that leaving marks is crass." She gave a beaming smiling of own when Ruby handed her Emma's to-go cup of coffee to hand to the sheriff. She turned, gently handing over the cup, stating in a pleasant voice that was set to rile the people eavesdropping around them, "Have a good day at work, Emma. Henry and I will see you at home tonight."


	17. September 9th, After Dinner

_**Chapter Seventeen**_  
_**Sept. 9th, Monday Evening**_  
_**Mayor's House, After Dinner**_

When Regina picked Henry up from school, she found herself bombarded with questions. Apparently, Emma had actually gone to his classroom to make certain he was there and everything was fine, which had disrupted class. She would have disapproved of the sheriff's antics, but she couldn't get passed the fact Emma had actually believed the dream she'd had that she'd been talking to Henry.

The brunette found herself more amused than annoyed by it all.

For his own part, Henry seemed honestly worried for his other mother. He kept asking if she was okay, if she'd been sleeping, and why it was that she and Regina were spending so much time together. Regina finally had to put the game of 20 questions to an end when he started asking about the picture on twitter. The words, "Are you and Emma, like, dating or something now?" had nearly caused her to run a red light.

After regrouping, she'd told him the only thing she could think of that would make sense and still be the truth without telling him too much. She told him they were friends now and they'd discuss it more when Emma was off duty for the night. Oddly, that seemed to satisfy his curiosity for the time being, and she decided she needed to keep him distracted until Emma came home from work.

The best way to Henry's attention span was through his stomach, so a stop at the store was in order. They picked up ingredients for homemade pizza, turnovers, and she even bought him a couple of bars of chocolate. It wasn't her proudest parenting moment, but she wasn't ready to delve into her complicated relationship with Emma Swan with their son.

She had thought the sheriff would be home in time to help make dinner, but she happened to see Emma hauling in a pair of gruff looking people as they passed by the station on the way to the house. It was clear from the look on their faces they were in serious trouble, and Emma's face screamed she was mad enough to kill.

Regina sighed. She really hadn't wanted Emma to come in late, but she'd rather the blonde come home late than not at all. So, instead of making pizza with Henry and Emma, she'd made pizza with their son, and then they had made turnovers together.

It was nice. She hadn't spent much time with Henry since the curse broke, and the activity of cooking and baking with him reminded her of a time before everything became so difficult. He seemed to enjoy himself as well, and, though he was disappointed to not see Emma before he had to start in on his homework, he seemed happier than he had in a long while.

It was almost enough to sustain her until Emma arrived home, which she did about an hour after Regina finished cleaning up the kitchen. She greeted the blonde with a smile and motioned for her to take a seat on her stool at the island while the brunette pulled out the pizza to start warming it in the over. "Hello, dear, I assumed you'd be late tonight, so I decided to make something less complicated." It was exactly the truth, but she wasn't about to admit she'd had a lapse in her parenting skills. "I hope you're fine with homemade pizza. If not, dinner might be unpleasant for you tonight."

"Does the pizza come with beer?" Emma heaved a sigh to emphasize her point. The older woman watched the display with amusement. "I'm famished. Work was tiring today."

Regina smiled and pulled a beer from the fridge, pushing it across the island toward the sheriff. "Also, Henry's in the study finishing his homework." She took in a deep breath and forced herself to talk about her conversation with him. "He… he asked about the rumors going around regarding the two of us. I told him we'd talk about it when you returned home tonight."

The blonde seemed unphased by this news. "Well, lets talk about it while I eat." Her expectant eyes moved to the oven. Regina took the hint and pulled the pizza out, placing it on a plate and sliding that over to the sheriff as well. "Did you explain anything to him at all?"

"I honestly don't know what to tell him. I don't want to lie to him. I told him we were friends now, but I don't feel as though we have anything really definitive to tell him." Regina felt confused and conflicted, two emotions that normally would lead her to destroy something or someone. But, this time, she simply wanted to make peace with it. With a heavy sigh, she sank down onto her own stool. "Perhaps we should ask him how he would feel about the idea of us being… very close friends?"

Emma shrugged, "We don't have anything definitive to tell him, but he's very perceptive. I think he gets that from you." The older woman gave a shy smile to that. "Also, he's all about this notion of everyone having one true love and all of that. Maybe we can tell him that we're exploring the idea of...being a family, as well as being very close friends. I mean, he did go all out on getting my parents together. He understands how romance works; he reads." Regina chuckled at the sly look the other woman shot her, "And not just that book of his."

Emma shoved another piece of pizza in her mouth and chewed a few times, clearly enjoying every minute of it. "This pizza is delicious." Her eyes twinkled with mirth. "You're spoiling me for pizza."

"I don't know that I'm spoiling you." The brunette shifted uncomfortably as she admitted, "You do realize that every food delivery service in this town refuses to deliver here, don't you? I learned to make pizza out of necessity after the curse broke. I'm still working on Chinese food…." She really didn't have the proper equipment for Chinese food. The BTUs on her stove simply weren't high enough to properly use a wok, and she didn't exactly have someone she could ask to come in and adjust things.

Blowing the thought off with shrug, Regina refocus on the important topic at hand, Henry. "That's a good answer for Henry, actually. I think telling him we're trying to be a family is accurate without giving him anything more. I'm… impressed, Emma. I'd never have thought of that."

The sheriff narrowed her eyes. "Maybe I need to go visit with some of our townsfolk." The older woman simply shook her head no. Some fights weren't worth fighting. "Are you working on real Chinese food, or the version that Americans eat? Because...you should definitely do both. And then I'll never be able to eat any of my favorite foods the same way ever again." Regina had to laugh at that. No one else in any realm would ever dare to ask Regina to do anything for them, yet Emma did so without a second thought and with a smile on her face. It was rather refreshing to see someone who treated Regina like, well, Regina.

Emma took a swig of her beer, setting it down with a thud. "I think we can tell him that and then give him more when there's something more to give. After all, he's the most important person in our lives. He should know first. We should try to at least give him that. Before all the town tells him."

Regina nodded. This all made complete sense, much to her own surprise. "Then we should probably explain to him tonight that working on being a family means you and I might, eventually, be more than frenemies because I'm certain there are photos all across the internet of us on our date last night and our little hugging session in the diner this afternoon." She was positive about both, in truth. She'd seen a few people snapping pictures at lunch. "Why are you smirking again?"

"You called it a date. And here I thought I got all dressed up for nothing. Frenemies though? Really? I vote we never use that term again. Ever." The blonde's smile was growing by the second even as she teased Regina.

Giving a frustrated huff, the brunette grumbled, "I don't know what it is about you that is causing me to let things slip, but I'd like to know so I can prevent it in the future." She didn't bother to hide her rising ire at herself. "Yes, fine. It was a date. Are you happy?"

"If I figure out what it is about me that makes you let things slip, I'll be sure to let you know. Or at least, use it to my advantage." Emma waggled her eyebrows suggestively. Regina snorted at her ridiculousness. "I'm...happier. I don't know that I'm happiest. There are still some things I'd like to know, and some things I'd like to share with you, but all of those things take time."

The older woman gave that a moment's thought. There were things she'd like to know about Emma and things she'd like to tell her as well, though not right now. She wasn't ready right now. "Well," she leaned back and crossed her arms, "if not frenemies, then what? Friends seems inaccurate, lovers is completely inaccurate - and probably damaging to Henry's psyche to think about, girlfriends makes us sound like teenagers, and partners makes us sound like we're in a business arrangement."

"What would you suggest? Companions?" She grimaced. That wasn't much better. "God, this was far less complicated when I was queen. You were either a courtesan of mine or you weren't. It was simple. This?" She moved an arm to make a vague sweeping motion between them. "This reeks of complication. No wonder teenagers are awkward. Dating is full of confusion." She rolled her eyes at herself. Why must everything be so layered? She looked back to Emma to find her smirking at her again. It was too much. "Stop smirking at me like that!"

"You know," she sheriff answered with the smirk still firmly in place, "we could make it really simple. We could just be together. When people ask us what we are, we'll just respond with, 'We're together.' They don't really need to know more than that, do they?" She shrugged and finished off her pizza before adding in a light, happy voice, "And I'll never stop smirking at you. Or maybe I will...when you stop making my heart jump. We're dating now, are we?"

Regina scrunched her face up. "You really are a Charming, aren't you?"

Emma shrugged. "As long as you never expect that 'I will always find you' nonsense out of me...maybe." She winked and took a long sip of her beer.

"You do," the brunette said in her best threatening voice, "and I'll personally set you on fire."

"Oh, personally set me on fire." The blonde took another sip her beer. "Well, as long as it's personally."

With an exasperated grunt, Regina stood and picked up the empty plate on the island. "Are you done with your dinner? It's getting late, and we should go speak with Henry soon. I don't want him to be up all night wondering what we're going to talk to him about."

"Absolutely." Emma held a hand up. "Let me drain this beer and we'll go." She tilted her head back and tipped the bottle, finishing it in a few seconds. "It has nothing to do with moral courage. Nothing at all."

Regina shook her head. Why she hadn't thought of taking a few sips of liquid courage, she didn't know, but she was suddenly jealous of Emma's ability to inadvertently prepare for things.


	18. September 9th, Guest Bedroom

_**Chapter Eighteen**_  
_**Sept. 9th, Monday Evening**_  
_**Mayor's House, Second Floor Guest Bedroom**_

When she finally managed to pull herself out of her latest nightmare, the clock was just flipping to 12:32AM, and Regina felt utterly exhausted yet completely wired at the same time. She was so very tired. She wanted to go back to sleep, yet she didn't. Usually, when these dreams happened, they would pick up right where they left off if she were to go back to sleep that night. That was far from appealing to her.

With a heavy sigh, she slid from her tousled bed, slipped on a robe, and headed downstairs to her study to find a book to read. Sleep was clearly not coming to her again, and, even if it did, the last thing she wanted to do was relive her wedding night over and over again on repeat. Once was enough.

Shuddering, she stepped into the study to find it as dark and clean as ever it was. Though it usually provided her with a feeling of comfort, the space felt empty to her now. She felt empty… and cold. She wiped at the cold sweat on her brow, groaning out her frustration. The usual peace she found in home was gone, replaced with wariness and anxiety. Nothing seemed to be like it once was, not even the supposed sanctity of her study.

Despite the uneasy feeling still bubbling up inside of her, she picked a random book from her self and settled on the couch to read. Her mind wouldn't focus. It kept flipping back to her dream. Well, to her memories would be more accurate. In her mind's eyes, she saw the wedding sheets, their embroidery perfect under the silver lighting of the moon, could smell his scent as it hung heavy in the air of his bedchambers, and could feel his hands on her.

No matter what she did to shake herself, the memory would not let go. He wasn't rough with her, nor was he especially gentle. It was as though he were indulging in any number of things that he considered his. With each touch or instruction, he was claiming her as his property.

Regina thought she might be sick.

She threw the book across the room, wincing as it made a loud crashing sound against the wall. She couldn't read, either. Reading was her escape, which meant she'd have no escape this night. She'd never fallen in with the rest of them that seemed to find moving pictures flickering across a lighted screen to be entertaining. It never engaged her, but she needed to do something. The memories were starting to flood her mind, and she was having a problem making them even slow down.

She paced the study, trying to control her racing thoughts and racing heartbeat. More images from her past crossed through her mind. There were days, sometimes weeks, where all she did was play nursemaid to Snow White. She was all but forgotten by the king, but, then, he'd call for her, and she couldn't say no. That wasn't an option for her, so she went, and she did what was expected of her. When it was over, she retired back to her own bedchambers where she was normally violently ill for a while after which she'd call for a bath.

The scrubbing never made her feel especially clean, however. Nothing ever did.

She ran her hands through her hair, groaning in frustration and despair. Why was her mind set to destroy her this night?

Glancing at the clock, she noted the time was much closer to one in the morning, and, though she knew it was likely an ill advised move, she knew she needed to be around someone else. Keeping company with herself when she was like this was always a bad idea. For most of her life, she hadn't had the option of not being alone, but now she did. Emma was here, in her guestroom, and Emma had made the offer to be there if she needed someone else around.

Taking in a deep breath and wiping at her face to clear it of the tear stains, she moved quietly up the stairs to the closed guestroom's door. For a time, she stood there, listening, trying to determine if the other woman was awake or not. There were no lights flowing from beneath the door, and there were no sounds issuing forth from the room.

She considered turning around and going back to her own room, but she knew her demons were waiting for her, and she wasn't ready to deal with that. She'd rather deal with Emma's wrath if she woke her right now.

Giving a light rap to the door, she said in a voice she hoped carried through without waking Henry, who was just a few doors down, "Emma? Emma are you awake in there?" There wasn't any sound. It was a bad sign. "I know it's late, but…" Until she'd started to knock, she hadn't realized how much she honestly needed to see the blonde. It was quickly becoming a pressing need. "Please be awake," she mumbled more-or-less to herself.

Relief flooded her when she heard Emma finally respond back. "Regina? Hang on, I'll get dressed."

She waited, arms crossed, face locked into the emotionless expression it naturally fell into whenever she was this level of upset. It only took a moment before the door opened to show a very concerned looking Emma on the other side. "What happened?" Regina frowned, slowly shaking her head and starting to back away a little, but the younger woman placed a hand on her arm and pulled her into the room, closing the door behind them. "Come in! Are you okay?"

Regina shifted uncomfortably. "Nothing's wrong. I just… I couldn't sleep, and I thought you might be awake. I know it's past midnight, and…" She was being ridiculous. She should be able to handle this on her own. After all, it wasn't the first time she'd had this issue, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. She should let the sheriff sleep. "I'm sorry. It's not really important. Please, go back to bed. I think I'll just go read for a bit." Or try to read for a bit. Maybe attempting to read would end up better this time than the last?

"No, I was awake, I swear." She allowed Emma to take her by the hands and lead her further into the room. "Come in and sit with me, okay? Tell me why you couldn't sleep?" The gentle look on the blonde's face made her feel better, safer in some ways. She was honestly concerned for Regina. The honesty helped the older woman calm down a bit more.

Taking in a deep breath, Regina answered quietly, "Those who carry a great deal of history rarely sleep well. I'm afraid my subconscious has insisted that I recall pieces of my past that I'd rather not revisit, but, as you know, it's nearly impossible to control one's dreams." Much to her detriment and ire; goodness know she had looked into ways to control her dreams through magic. Nothing ever seemed to work.

Emma nodded, guiding them to the bed as she spoke. "I do know that. Want to tell me about it? Or do you just want to sit here with me and we'll talk about something else until we fall asleep? Either way is fine with me. But if we are going to sit here until we fall asleep, I'm going to suggest we lie down instead." Regina raised her eyebrows in response, but it was an empty display. She very much liked the idea of not being alone at the moment, and it was an added bonus that her expression made the other woman squirm a bit. For some reason, making Emma Swan uncomfortable always made the brunette feel a bit better. "As...awkward as that may be. Or maybe not. Up to you." Emma glanced at the bed, giving it an uncertain look before transferring that look to Regina.

"If it's all the same to you, I think I'd like to lie down, either way." A little less gracefully than she normally would move, the brunette slid onto bed, settling atop the covers. "But please give me a little space. I don't think I can handle being touched without forewarning right now." She was positive of it. That had happened once when Graham was sharing her bed with her, and she had literally knocked him unconscious in her attempt to get away from his touch. Being touched wasn't a form of comfort for her. When she was in this state, it normally only agitated her that much more.

Without protest, Emma started to move around the bed. There was a great deal of understanding in her voice as she spoke. "Well, there's certainly plenty of room on the bed to lie down without touching you. Here. I'll move to this side, and you can have all the space you need."

Regina rested her hands over her stomach and stared at the ceiling while Emma moved to slip into the other side of the bed. There was so much on her mind, so much she wanted to share and so much more she never wanted to think about again. Her voice was hoarse with her conflicting turmoil of emotions. "Even if I wanted to talk about, I'm not sure that I could. It's all very…" She kept using the word complicated when she spoke with the young woman, and, though the word was accurate, it wasn't really very descriptive. The fact was that it wasn't just complicated. It was terrifying. There were things that Regina had done and that had been done to her that she would never wish on her worst enemy, and, given everything she had done to Snow White over the years, that said quite a bit.

Turning her head to look at the blonde, she cleared her throat and started again. "Emma, I've done some truly despicable things in my life." She could see the refutation in the younger woman's eyes. She only gave her a look of sadness and apology in return. The truth is the truth, whether one likes it or not. "There's no over exaggeration in that statement, but I wasn't always that way, and the things I dream about are not things that I've done. They're things that were done to me or things I simply had to endure." She turned her head back so she could stare at the ceiling again. The compassionate, caring, and protective look in Emma's eyes was too much for her to deal with. "And I'm not certain you truly want to know. I feel as though you've learned enough negative things about your family and relations without adding in my intimate details to the mix." There had been a time when she would have jumped at the opportunity to hurt any member of the Charming clan with facts regarding how horrid one of their own actually was. That time, however, had passed.

She simply wanted the nightmares to stop and life to move on. Archie Hopper was right. She needed to let go.

She could feel Emma shift on the other side of the bed, and she shuddered when she thought the other might incidentally touch her, but it never happened. Instead, Emma reassured her quietly, "Listen, I can't change who my family is. What I can do is listen. I can be here and support you and listen. I'm not going to feel any differently about you than I do now just because of something you tell me. And honestly, you shouldn't worry about what I've learned about my family. I want to know about you, and if that means I learn something negative about them, then so be it."

The brunette closed her eyes, body tensing. There was such much history. Emma really had no idea, but the younger woman seemed to be her weakness these days. When Emma pleaded, "Please, Regina," what little resolve she had shattered.

"I…" She really had no idea where to start. There wasn't exactly a beginning. There were phases, but they were all so intertwined in each other that it was a spiderweb of confusion and misdirection. "Emma, you know I married the king when I was 18, and you know it was a forced marriage. I never wanted to be the queen. I wanted to be happy, to be with Daniel. But you know what happened there." Of course, the sheriff didn't know everything, but she knew enough to fill in what she needed of those blanks. Regina wasn't about to tackle Daniel's death right now. That would be far more than she could bear.

"Being married in the Enchanted Forest meant you had certain duties you were expected to perform as a woman, and, as queen, my duties were…" Worse. More horrible. More willpower breaking? "much greater. I…" Didn't want him to touch her. Didn't want to be feared by the masses? Didn't want to be what her mother wanted her to be? She sighed, again closing her eyes as if that would abate the emotional pain she was feeling. "The king…" Was a bastard.

Regina could feel her body stiffen while her voice grew weaker and more emotional. "Daniel was my first love, but we never did anything more than share a kiss." She slowly opened her eyes, not bothering to wipe away the tear that slid down her temple and into her hair. "The king wanted a son."

Quiet filled the room for a bit, and Regina absorbed it, lost in the memories and emotions of a time when she was truly powerless. Too young to fight and too inexperienced to use what she did know to any real advantage, she'd spent years being forced into roles she never wanted. In a way, she was still in many roles she never want. The irony was that her newest trappings were of her own doing.

Emma's voice broke into her quiet contemplation. "That must have been awful. Was that what you were reliving?" Again the bed shook, and, again, Regina braced herself for contact that never happened. "Anything else? I mean, you don't have to tell me any more unless you want to. I'm just here to listen."

There was plenty to say, and none of it was anything less than horrid. The brunette chuckled, but there wasn't a hint of mirth in her tone. "Awful is an understatement. Horrifying and life scarring would be more accurate."

"Your grandfather wasn't a bad man, but he was king, and he never stopped loving your grandmother." She couldn't believe she was saying anything positive about Leopold, but Emma deserved to know the whole truth as best as she could portray it, even if that truth was distasteful. "I was just a placeholder for her and someone to care for Snow. Never part of his family, never received by the people, constantly reminded of what I wasn't and who I wasn't along with having to do my 'wifely duties' and deal with the pain of losing Daniel to Mother's insanity…"

Letting out another long, heavy sigh, she turned her head to look at Emma once again, her eyes heavy with decades of remembered pain. "Some teenagers' drama circled around what clothes they get to wear. Mine circled around surviving to live another day without trying to kill myself or someone else." The frown on her face deepened. "You see how well that went."

Before Emma could protest, Regina cut her off. "Do you see why I don't want to tell Henry about my past? Besides the death and destruction, I think learning about his great grandfather through my eyes wouldn't be fair to him." She was pleading with the blonde the best she was able. There was nothing she wanted to do less than destroy the innocence Henry still had. "I can't do that to him."

"I can understand why you don't want to tell Henry about your past." Emma gave her best reassuring smile, and, for the first time, Regina believed in it. She truly believed what the woman next to her was saying. "Whatever you want to tell Henry, or me, is your decision. I'll always be here, and I certainly know that not all members of one's family are good."

Pushing herself up into a sitting position, Regina let out a war weary sigh. "Unfortunately, so does Henry."

At some point, the young woman had rolled onto her side so she could face Regina, and she was now watching the brunette with eyes that held compassion and protection, but not pity. It was both a comfort and a relief to the older woman to see someone genuinely care about her without wanting to change her, manipulate her, or feel sorry for her. Emma's emotions weren't just written all over her face, but infused in her voice as well. "You know that you'll always be part of my family, Regina, no matter what happens. And there won't ever be any 'wifely duties'. I'd never touch you without your permission." At that, the brunette started to relax. She winced as the pain from holding rigid for so long registered and the exhaustion of being so emotionally high strung for just long began to creep in.

She was tired. It was nearly 2:30 in the morning, and all she wanted to do was calm down a bit more and try for sleep. A change of topic was in order. She looked down at the blonde and considered her for a long time, face resolutely serious, before she said in a voice laced with just a hint of teasing, "Hmmm, no 'wifely duties'? I wasn't aware we were far enough along in whatever this is to start discussing the need for wifely duties, Miss Swan." For emphasis, she raised an eyebrow.

The blush that blossomed over Emma made the tease all the more worth it as the sheriff stumbled over her words, trying to explain herself, "Er...uh...well you see...I…um…"

Regina's look turned smug. "Well, it's about time that happened." Emma's track record of leaving the brunette speechless was starting to look a little too good. It was nice to have a little turnabout. "Relax, dear, I'm not suggesting anything tonight. But," in truth Regina didn't want to go back to her bedroom and be alone again. She really didn't want to be around anyone, either, but, oddly, Emma had somehow switched over into a category where she didn't count as people. She was Emma. She had her own category in Regina's mind, and, at that moment, all the brunette wanted was to sleep and to do so as close to Emma as she could without crossing lines. Letting the smug look drop into one that was far more vulnerable than she'd ever let anyone see in decades, she asked in a hesitant voice, "would you mind if I just lie here here a bit? I'm not ready to be alone yet."

Emma cleared her throat and then smiled gently. "Absolutely. You can lie there, or…" she moved her arm in invitation, "if you want you can lie over here with me." She gave a nonchalant shrug, but the hopefulness shone in her eyes. Regina had to smile. The sheriff was many things, but smooth was not one of them. "Entirely up to you."

"I don't…" Shaking her head, Regina slipped off the bed and stared down at the hopeful eyes and open invitation. When she awoke later, she'd probably think this entire thing had been an absolutely horrible idea. However, in the moment, the invitation was everything she needed and wanted. She untied her robe and set it on a nearby chair before slipping back into the bed and under the covers. "Okay," she said with a small bit of warning in her voice. She rolled onto her side, reaching to give Emma's arm a tug in silent permission that it was okay for the other woman to hold her if she wanted. As they settled, both of them facing the same direction, she cautioned, "But, If anyone asks, I am always the big spoon. This never happened."

She could feel Emma nuzzle her nose into her hair as the blonde moved closer to her, her long legs falling parallel to her own. Emma's voice was soft and sleepy as she spoke quietly next to Regina's ear, "As if I would ever talk about our bedroom activities with anyone. I'm just…" The covers moved, and Emma's arm cautiously moved to wrap around Regina's waist, "gonna put my arm here, okay?"

Regina felt safe and suddenly too tired to even blink. She struggled to stay awake just long enough to whisper into the darkness, "I trust you, Emma."


	19. September 10th, Guest Bedroom

_**Chapter Nineteen**_  
_**Sept. 10th, Tuesday Morning**_  
_**Mayor's House, Second Floor Guest Bedroom**_

Regina was warm, everything surrounding her was comforting and wonderfully soft, and she didn't want to move even so much as an eyelid, but the light shining on her face told her she really needed to open them anyway. She was reluctant to do so because she knew, once she did, she would have to get out of bed.

She was so warm.

She normally awoke to find her covers thrown off, which meant she was almost always cold in the mornings. Rare was the time she would wake to find the covers still about her and a bubble of warmth still surrounding her from a restful night's sleep.

She wanted to savor this moment for as long as she could before her alarm went off.

Waiting for the moment when the shrill sound would break through her moment of peace, she allowed her mind to run as it pleased. At first, she thought of things to be done today, but, as the time slowly moved by, she started to think of the previous night.

It was then she realized she wasn't in her bedroom. She was in the guest bedroom, and the reason she was so warm was because she was being held by Emma Swan, not just because the blankets were still on the bed.

For the briefest of moments, she panicked. To her memory, she had never fallen asleep while being held by anyone except her father, and that was only a few times when she was a small girl and very sick. Her mother had quickly stopped that from continuing once she'd found out about it. Cora had said her husband was babying their child, and it would serve to make their daughter weak to be coddled. Cora would have none of that. Regina had never allowed Graham to hold her, even though he had wanted to on several occasions, and she and Daniel had never had the chance.

She was conflicted about her current situation. On one hand, she was honestly comfortable and truly didn't want to move. However, on the other hand, things could become very awkward very quickly if she remained and Emma were to wake up soon. Worst yet, what if Henry woke up early and went looking for one of them only to find both of them sharing the same bed and cuddled up together? Yes, they'd discussed the possibility of all of them becoming a family, but she really doubted he was ready to walk in on them sleeping together, even if the only thing they had actually done was sleep. Henry… her mind stopped and did a small restart. Henry needed to get up and get ready for school, and, since she'd spent the night in the guestroom, that meant her alarm clock wouldn't wake her up.

Her eyes shot open, and she immediately zeroed in on the clock. It was beyond time for all of them to be up. "Oh God," she groaned as she struggled to detangle from the other woman's hold and get out of bed. "Emma, get up! It's 7:30 in the morning." She grunted, twisting and turning to try and get out of the embrace and get their son to school on time. "Henry's going to be late for school. You're going to be late for work. It's only Tuesday, and you're going to be late for work two days already." She really didn't need anything else for the town and the Charmings to blame her for. She rolled over to face the blonde. "Emma. For God's sake, wake up, and get off of me." She placed her free, unobstructed hand on the younger woman's shoulder and gave it a small shake. "We need to get up!"

She attempted to pull away only slightly, but that finally got the sheriff to stir. "Stop wiggling, Regina. You're touching places I don't think you want to be accidentally touching."

Rolling her eyes, and only struggled a bit more. "Oh, please, Emma, it's not as though you have anything I do not." Finally giving up, she gave one final push against the blonde's shoulder. "Get up!"

"Hey!" One green eye finally cracked open. "It's different, okay! When you touch me…" Regina gave her best glare. She didn't have time to get into that conversation with Emma right now. She needed to get up and get Henry to school.

Making an exasperated face at the scowl the brunette was giving her, Emma slowly untangled them from the covers. "I'm getting up! I'm not late, I'm working a later shift so I can meet Ruby for a thing. Okay, a humiliating thing. If you want, you can come and watch me." What was the sheriff talking about? A thing? What thing? Oh, yes, the agreement she and the waitress made for the standing babysitting appointment. The blonde winced, adding, "I'm not...exactly sure what she has in mind yet."

Regina only continued to glare. There was no time to talk about this. Henry needed to be at school in less than 20 minutes. Emma sat up in bed, throwing the covers to the end and frowning deeply. "Decide while you go get Henry. I can see your desire to go in your eyes."

The hurt and anger in the young woman's voice gave Regina pause. She stopped her mad rush out of the bed and turned to the blonde. Slightly breathless from her struggle, she nonetheless tried for a gentler tone. After everything that had happened last night, the last thing she wanted was for Emma to think there was any regret to be found there. There wasn't. "I don't want to go, but Henry's going to be late for school if we don't get up right now."

She sighed, unable to find a way to reassure the blonde with the amount of time they had. Instead, she decided to cover her bases quickly. They were running out of time to talk. Swiftly getting up, she made her way to the door, commenting lightly as she moved, "We'll discuss what Ruby Lucas has in store for you after I get Henry to school." Turning before opening the door, she gave a small smirk, playfully commenting, "Try not to burn the house down while I'm away. I have cereal in the pantry."

She watched Emma pout and cross her arms. With the mound of covers surrounding her and the petulant look on her face, the brunette had the passing thought that she'd seen Henry look exactly like that on more than one occasion. It took everything she had not to laugh when Emma huffed out, "I'm not going to burn the house down. I did manage on my own for many years, you know. I'll see you when you get back. Tell Henry I lo…" Regina quirked her head. The awkwardness of the word leaving the other woman's mouth made her feel uncomfortable. "..ve him. Yeah. Tell him that."

She found she was actually a little sad at how difficult it was for Emma to get the word out. At one point in time, she would have taken the opportunity to at least mock the woman for her troubles, but Regina truly didn't want to. She understood all too well how hard it is to say those words.

With a small, reassuring smile, she replied while opening the door, "I'm sure he would tell you the same in return. I'll see you soon, Sheriff."

* * *

_**Sept. 10th, Tuesday Morning**_  
_**Mayor's House, Kitchen**_

Much to Regina's surprise, Henry was already up and partially ready to go by the time she ran through a quick bathroom routine and pulled on clothes decent enough to wear to drive him to school. He seemed completely unaffected by the fact she looked far worse for wear than normal and only commented that it was neat he got to buy his lunch for a change when she handed him a few dollars as he was jumping out of the car and running into the school building.

She mentally kicked herself on the drive back once it occurred to her that she hadn't given him anything to eat for breakfast and hoped he'd be able to make it until lunch. It wasn't one of her better parenting moments, but at least she'd gotten him to school on time.

Upon entering her home, her immediate thought was she wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep a few hours more, but the smell of food coming from the kitchen told her Emma was already up, much to her disappointment. With a wistful sigh, she headed for her kitchen and found the young woman sitting at her usual spot at the island. There was a large stack of pancakes sitting between two place settings and a freshly brewed cup of coffee waiting for her at what had become her spot at the island.

For a moment, she simply looked over the scene. Emma's hair was mussy from sleep, and she wasn't dressed yet for work. Her tank top was a bit stretched out, the pajama bottoms were a little too short for her, and her fuzzy socks were two different colors. Regina had to smile. She could get used to seeing such a thing in her kitchen in the mornings.

The warm, fuzzy thought shook her a bit. This wasn't how she normally thought of things or people. Since when did she decide questionably made pancakes and coffee and a haphazardly dressed blonde were welcome sights in her home? Reluctantly, she had to admit to herself it'd happened when Emma Swan had somehow situated herself into Regina's life and home.

Shaking her head at the odd emotions and thoughts swirling around in her mind, the brunette finally strolled into the kitchen and took her spot at the island. With mischief playing in her eyes, she asked lightly, "You made pancakes?" She gave a suspicious glance around the kitchen. "And nothing's burned? The house is still standing? I don't believe it. How on earth did you manage to get dressed, to Granny's, pick up an order, and make it back here in the time it took me to get Henry to school?"

Her sarcasm was rewarded with an eye roll from the woman across from her. "Your faith in me is astounding." She chuckled and watched Emma start dividing up the pancakes between them. "You know, I can make some things." Her eyes followed the plate pushed her direction. "Here, eat. They're delicious."

"Thank you." The pancakes smelled delicious, and after a bite or two, the older woman found she was humming in appreciation. Emma was right. They were delicious, though she'd never admit it aloud. Instead, Regina decided to see what was on the agenda for the day. She had, after all, told the sheriff they'd discuss Ruby's plans for her once Henry was at school. "So tell me about this arrangement you've made with Ms. Lucas. How did it come about, and what, exactly, was agreed upon?"

"Well…" Emma wrinkled her face up and shifted on her stool, "basically, she comes over to watch Henry once a week. I have to go around town doing the dirty jobs that no one else wants to do for themselves. Today I'm cleaning up trash in the streets, because, for some reason, now that everyone's remembered who they are, they seem to think it's okay to just throw things everywhere. And it hasn't been addressed yet."

Of course the Charmings would allow her city to fall to ruin. "If I were still mayor, that wouldn't be an issue." She took a sip of her coffee as the mental rant about the town going to Hell in a handbasket ran through her mind when something occurred to her. There was absolutely no reason for Emma to literally be cleaning the streets. "We have a street cleaner. People have always thrown things into the street, but that's why there's a sanitation system setup for the town." What the hell were the Charmings doing in her office? Making paper airplanes or simply having sex on her desk all day? Did they not even bother to learn how a town is run? No wonder the infrastructure was falling apart. "Honestly, who is running things right now? I may have been kicked out of office, but I left with the town in good standing." Maybe the Charmings had handed over the day-to-day operations to one of their 'trusted' council members. Dopey, perhaps? "Are your idiotic parents letting it all fall apart?"

Emma blinked at her. "We...have a street cleaner?" Regina took another sip of coffee and nodded in the affirmative. "Hmm. Maybe I should call a meeting? Maybe it still runs, and Ruby just can't think of anything else for me to do? I should talk to Sn..my mother."

The brunette huffed. She honestly hated the fact Emma Swan was Snow White's daughter and hated even more being reminded of it. Emma, on her own, she would happily keep company with, but she'd rather not be forced recall who the young woman was related to by blood.

Rolling her eyes at the entire mess, Regina offered in a slightly irritated tone, "I can be of use. When you talk to Ms. Blanchard, please tell her that I am more than happy to instruct her on how to run my town." It grated on her nerves to have to ask to be allowed to run the town she created and had run effectively well for the past 28 years. The whole situation was preposterous. She could be accused of many things but of poorly running the town was not one of them. "As if it weren't bad enough that I've been regulated to the far corner, now they're allowing my town to go to pot. What's next? They'll allow a Wal-Mart to move in?" She shuddered. "That's so tacky."

Emma actually chuckled at Regina's utter look of disgust, crinkled nose and all. "As if there's enough business in..." The sheriff seemed to think better of whatever she was going to offer and, instead, said, "actually a Wal-mart would probably move in regardless." The brunette grumbled to herself about lower class standards and the importance of supporting mom and pop establishments to which the blonde could only give a look of apology. "Uh...I'll pass that along. Actually, maybe I'll skip meeting Ruby and go directly to Mary Margaret. Snow." Again with the name issue? Regina was tempted to tell Emma to call Ms. Blanchard 'Idiot Number One', but she doubted that would go over very well.

Emma seemed to shrug at herself for her continued confusion at what to call Idiot Number One. With an odd bounce in her words, she added, "I won't be home in time for your usual dinner time. You don't need to wait for me. See you tonight!"

Just as Regina was about to comment that she would wait for Emma if she only knew what time the sheriff would be home, the blonde scooted from her spot, swung around, gave her a hug, and walked out of the kitchen.

The whole experience left Regina a little shellshocked. She had not been prepared for the young woman to so easily start showing her such affections, and, once again, she was reminded of Henry, who once hugged her in the same manner before he left the table to go play or do his homework.

No longer hungry, she glanced around the perfectly clean kitchen, uncertain of what to do with herself. With a heavy sigh, she began the small amount of cleanup from their breakfast and then headed upstairs to change into her gardening clothes. Perhaps some time spent with her flowerbeds would help her feel less… unsettled?


	20. September 10th, Kitchen

_**Chapter Twenty**_  
_**Sept. 10th, Tuesday Evening**_  
_**Mayor's House, Kitchen**_

As she cleaned her already pristine kitchen, Regina checked the clock. It was close to 8, and there was still no sign from Emma. Henry was in his room supposedly working on his homework, and the house was eerily quiet. She had become accustomed to the sounds of activity. Between Henry's and Emma's rather massive amounts of energy, her home seemed to practically breathe life these days, but not tonight. Tonight, the world was quiet, and Regina felt more alone than she had in weeks.

She was just considering sending Emma a text when she heard the front door open. Pulling a beer from the fridge, she removed the bottle cap and turned around just in time to hand it the blonde as she walked into the kitchen and took her place at the island. She had seen the young woman look far better than she was right now, and Regina's immediate thought was something terrible had happened that probably involved the two idiots. "I'm going to assume your conversation with Mary Margaret did not go well. Would you like something to eat, or are we drinking dinner tonight?"

Emma seemed to sink down on her stool. With a sigh, she answered in a tired voice, "The conversation was...interesting. We're going to have a town meeting or something. She's working it out. I spent the rest of the day catching up on paperwork." She held out her free hand and gave it a couple of weak squeezes. "I think my hand cramps have cramps. Look." She held up her beer, and Regina's eyes widen as she watched it slowly start to slide from the sheriff's grip. "I can barely hold this beer." Emma set the beer down, and the brunette didn't bother to hide her relief.

With a bit of mocking in her voice and a hint of a smirk on her otherwise faux sympathetic face, Regina gave a click to her tongue and offered up her sympathies. "Oh, you poor dear. I'm sure you'll survive." The other woman was the worst about doing paperwork, and Regina didn't understand why. It had to be done. Why complain?

Taking her usual seat, she wiped the mocking from her face and settled into an expression of passive interest. "I wonder what Snow is planning for this town meeting?" She gave it a moment's thought. Narrowing her eyes, she smirked and pointed at the sheriff, her voice filled with an odd humor. "If she pulls out a chart of chores for each town member, I am allowed to laugh hysterically." She leaned back and crossed her arms in defiance. "You cannot stop me from it."

She was delighted to see Emma chuckle from behind her beer bottle. Rolling her eyes, the brunette commented in exasperation, "Honestly, having you literally clean the streets of Storybrooke is a waste of your talents. It'd be far better to have you track down some of our still missing residents." There was a list of things that needed to be tended to. She'd left it in a file on her desk marked 'important', though she somehow doubted anyone had bothered to look in the file. "For example, I had you looking for Potter Weatherly prior to the curse breaking. Did you ever find him?"

The guilty look on the sheriff's face told her everything she needed to know even before she heard the answer "Uh...no. That kind of got lost with all the curse breaking and then trying to keep our residents from killing each other," Emma groaned, "...and now spending most of my time trying to see what Gold is up to."

She finished her beer and walked to the sink to rinse out the bottle and toss it in the recycling bin beneath the sink. Turning around and crossing her arms, she leaned against the counter and tilted her head as a small smile played across her features.

Regina raised an eyebrow in question. Clearly, the blonde was thinking something interesting. Perhaps she had figured out where Mr. Weatherly had disappeared to? Much to her surprise, when Emma opened her mouth, her comment was far more intimate than anything remotely close to business related. "I like our new... togetherness." The young woman actually blushed as a rather shy smile appeared on her face. "It gives me something to look forward to coming home to." Had Regina not been floundering to find a way to respond to that comment, she would have found the way the young woman looked endearing.

However, instead of responding in kind, Regina redirected. She wasn't ready to tackle the intimacy she'd just been shown. "And I would like it if you actually managed to find Mr. Weatherly. I didn't have you looking for him just because I was trying to make your life difficult, though that was an added bonus." Watching the sheriff struggle to prove she could do anything the mayor threw her direction was often the highlight of Regina's day. "Before the curse, he was one of the lead knights for your mother's army. I saw him once after the curse, and then he disappeared, which I thought odd considering." Where did he go? Did he cross the town line? Did he go underground? Had he died? It bothered her deeply that she didn't know what had happened to the man. For 28 years, she knew where every citizen was, what they were doing, and how well they were faring. To suddenly not know about one of the citizens in her town made her feel as though she had lost an extremity. "It made me wonder what was happening in my town I didn't know about, which led me to believe there was some danger of which I was unaware." Had Gold started in on another plan? Had one of her enemies found their way to her town? Was Henry in danger?

The sheriff seemed to think on it for a moment before declaring with confidence, "I'll find him. Finding people is," Regina chuckled at the disgusted look which passed over the blonde's face. She couldn't blame her, really. The irony that Emma had been a bail bondsman and her parents had the catchphrase 'I will always find you' had not gone unnoticed. In fact, Regina often chuckled about it when it crossed her mind. Emma grunted and continued, ignoring the older woman's amusement, "what I do. I used to be so proud of that." The young woman grumbled, "Now that I hear that stupid phrase all the time I can't stand the idea. Also, I find it hard to imagine anything in Storybrooke that you would have been unaware of. Except of course where I was concerned."

That was an understatement. Emma Swan was the biggest wildcard to come into Storybrooke in years, and she was the only wildcard Regina had been unable to tame in some way. It wasn't all bad. There was much to be said about the level of appreciation the brunette had for someone who mentally challenged her as Emma did. It was refreshing. Even now, Emma provided her with new challenges which, although they often times made the older woman feel out of her element, Regina nonetheless welcomed.

For example, the new level of intimacy Emma was so easily showing her was a particular challenge to the brunette, who was unaccustomed to more than a forced hug from their son. It wasn't unwanted, of course, and, as the thought crossed her mind, Regina realized she should probably say something about the little tidbit of information Emma had given her, lest the blonde think she didn't appreciate this new level of intimacy.

With a wave of her hand to brush off their current topic of conversation, she commented a little drier than she intended, "Our new togetherness? Yes," she sounded bored, even to herself, which made her internally wince. This inability to reciprocate even small gestures was definitely something she needed to address with the cricket, "it is nice to know that the likelihood of the person coming to my home to see me actually wants to spend time with me as opposed to burn me at the stake has increased. It's…" she shrugged, "refreshing."

Emma gave her a hard look, voice a little flat, "Not everyone wants to burn you at the stake, you know." That was true. Some people wanted to cut her into little pieces, a few had threatened to poison her, and one inventive young woman had suggested putting an explosive in a rather private part of her anatomy and setting it off. "Some of them want to hang you, shoot you, bash you over the head, tar and feather you, etc." Those as well.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Because that's so much better, yes." Moving to stand, Regina pulled a small, hand written schedule from a drawer in the island. She handed it to Emma as she spoke, "Tomorrow I'm scheduled to see Doctor Hopper in the morning. Would you mind taking Henry to school?" She pointed to the schedule, which indicated all of the appoints she still kept. "For the record, I have a standing appointment with Hopper every Wednesday morning."

She watched the other woman look over the schedule. It wasn't much to speak of these days, but there were certain things Regina refused to not maintain, and she had to see the cricket once a week or risk reverting back to her old habits. She'd written the schedule so Emma would know where she was should the sheriff come home early and not find her. Now that she no longer had her secretary, it wasn't as though Emma could ask anyone who would know where Regina was at a specific time.

Nothing on her schedule was very interesting. She had a standing hair appointment, a day she went to pick up dry cleaning, her weekly meeting with the cricket, her daily trip to the gym, and her regular appointment at the library to drop off finished books and find a few more to read.

Thinking on it, her life had become rather mundane, even by Storybrooke standards.

Emma pulled her from her thoughts with a cheerful reply of, "Of course I can take Henry to school." She simply nodded in acceptance. She had very little doubt the other woman wouldn't take their son to school. "You want to grab lunch tomorrow with me? At Granny's, of course. I've got some patrolling to do in the morning, and some things to plan for the town meeting in the afternoon."

It was a tempting offer, but Regina was always drained after her sessions. The last thing she wanted to do after one of them was sit in public and be subjected to more emotional upheaval. "Thank you for the invitation, but I think I'll pass on lunch. It's difficult to gauge how long my session will be. It generally runs long, and there's some place I like to go after." She normally went to see her father after the cricket was done with her. Even though the tomb wasn't actually his final resting place, going there gave her a quiet, though brief, sense of peace. With everything that had been happening, she hadn't been to visit in a while. It made her feel as though she wanted to spend extra time there. "In fact, it may be wise for us to plan on having dinner out that night. Will the town meeting be over in time to take Henry to Granny's for dinner?"

With a little shrug, Emma pushed away from the counter and headed for the fridge. "Mm. Well, if you change your mind, give me a call. And the meeting is in the afternoon, so there should be plenty of time to take Henry out for dinner afterward." She opened the fridge and started digging around. "And speaking of dinner, I think I'm getting hungry now."

Regina stepped to the fridge and grabbed the door, pointing to the plate warmer across the way. "There's a chicken potpie in the warmer for you." She closed the fridge with a thud. "I'm going to go check on Henry and see how he's coming along with his homework."

She watched in amusement as Emma carefully opened the warmer and pulled out the food, and commented happily, "Ooo...speaking my language!" She gave the sheriff a look of question. "Food!"

With a laugh, Regina turned and headed upstairs to see to Henry, leaving Emma alone with her food.


	21. September 11th, Master Bedroom

_**Chapter Twenty-One**_  
_**Sept. 11th, Wednesday Late Night**_  
_**Mayor's House, Second Floor Master Bedroom**_

The day had been rather long, even by her own standards, and Regina was happy to have some time to herself to relax. She'd managed to do a little shopping with Henry after dinner and was now the proud owner of an ereader. It was a novel experience, and she was very much enjoying using her new device. As much as she tended to read these days, it'd been a sound purchasing decisions, and Henry had been excited to show her how to use it. She suspected it was because he sensed one for himself somewhere on the horizon. He may have been correct in the assumption. Once she learned all of the parental controls, she planned to buy him one because it really did have the potential to be an excellent educational tool.

So caught up was she in reading her newest book on her newest toy that she didn't realize how very late it was until she heard a weak knock on her door. "Regina? Are you still awake?"

She glanced at her clock. It was close to 11:30. Realizing she hadn't heard from Emma since before dinner, she frowned as she remembered the blonde had stood her and their son up. They were supposed to meet at Granny's for a family dinner, but Emma had never shown, nor had she called. What had kept the sheriff out so late? "Yes, come in, dear." As the young woman stepped in and closed the door, Regina gave a little pat to the empty side of bed, indicating the other woman was welcome to join her. The blond looked exhausted. "You never came to dinner, and you didn't call. I was starting to become concerned. What happened?"

"I…" Emma's hesitation made Regina cautious. Something was wrong. As the blonde settled on the bed beside her, she inclined her head and watched the other woman intently while the sheriff explained why she was so late coming home. "...can we just say it was a long day of calls and leave it at that? I've been all over town. And then my phone died, and my car died just when I was out the farthest, and I walked home." Regina's eyes widened. That was a great deal of bad luck all in a row, but, then again, she has always said that bug was a deathtrap. "Can you just...I mean...can I just lay here with you?"

"You walked home? No wonder you look exhausted." Running an eye over the weary woman next to her, she frowned. Emma was filthy. "Of course you're welcome to lie here, but wouldn't you like to take a bath first?" If she didn't say yes, Regina was likely to poof her into the shower, clothes and all. "You may use my tub if you'd like. There's no reason to bump around next to Henry's room and wake him if you don't have to." Plus, she really didn't want the young woman to leave her sights again tonight. Her instincts screamed she should keep Emma close.

The sheriff chuckled. "Is that a nice way of saying you can't stand that I'm dirty right now?" Regina inclined her head. Points to Emma for taking the hint. "Okay, I'll go take a bath."

* * *

_**Sept. 11th, Wednesday Night**_  
_**Mayor's House, Second Floor Master Bedroom**_

The brunette allowed her lips to curl into a wicked little smile as she watched the younger woman step out of the bathroom. Steam and the warm scent of apple, vanilla, and honey filled the air along with another scent she couldn't quite decipher but found she appreciated nonetheless. Emma looked better, though still tired, and the too-short pajama bottoms with the odd designs on them were starting to grow on her. Regina was tempted to ask Emma what the designs were, but thought better of it as the blonde slide into bed beside her. The smells from the bathroom now floated around her, and she took in a deep breath, enjoying the warm smells wrapped about her. "Apple scented things sit well on you, Emma." She scooted over to give more room on the bed. "Would you still like to lie down with me for a bit?"

Sliding down under the covers, Emma gave her a long, almost shy look. She was just about to ask what was bothering her when the blonde said in a small voice, "Regina, can you...be the big spoon? And can I stay? I don't think I'm going to sleep."

The request surprised her, but, more than that, she was overcome with the want to protect Emma. She looked so small and so… scared. Something had happened. Without protest, the older woman shut off the lights and turned, wrapping herself around the other woman and pulling her close.

Regina inhaled deeply, realizing the unidentified scent from earlier must simply be how Emma smells. It was a little unnerving to recognize she actually liked the way the blonde smelled, so much so that she considered pulling away, but the young woman in her arms felt too fragile to let go, as if she'd break if Regina pulled away, and the brunette couldn't do it. For once, she didn't want to shatter a person, even though the opportunity was prime for the taking. Instead, she decided she'd try to offer some kind of emotional support. She had no idea how to do that, but she had learned from the cricket that talking helps. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about what's happened tonight? Even having to walk from the furthest spot in town to my home wouldn't make you this weary. Talk to me, Emma. I give you my word that you can trust me. I will keep your confidence." She kept her voice soft and quiet. Somehow, she felt sounding anything less than gentle in this moment would make Emma even more fragile.

"I...didn't sleep last night either." Regina hated to hear that. She'd hoped the blonde was at least sleeping better than she was. "I went to bed and then had a...well, one of my recurring dreams. I'm six. It's the second foster family I lived with. They had two other kids that were both older. They used to tell me to just be quiet, to keep my head down, to be good. I was so good...so good." The brunette winced and held Emma even tighter. Regina understood all too well what it meant to be a good girl and still never be good enough. No one should have to endure that. "It didn't matter. The father beat me. Creatively. I...sometimes if I just laughed the wrong way while playing. I still have marks."

In another time and in another place, the brunette would have fed on the hurt and pain radiating from the other woman. She would have thrived on knowing how much Snow White's child had suffered and how broken she was. Now was neither the time nor the place. As Emma lay in her arms quietly crying at memories of abuse that Regina could full well understand, the older woman hated herself all the more for being the one to cause this pain. The novelty of the guilt she found herself repeatedly experiencing regarding how Emma Swan's life had progressed was starting to wear off, but that didn't make the guilt any less heavy or any less surprising. Of all the people in Storybrooke Regina should be happy to see in such pain, Emma was at the top of that list, yet she hated seeing every moment of it, and she hated even more the fact that she'd essentially been the cause of it.

Regina knew there were no words she could say nor anything she could do to make the pain Emma was feeling go away. You learn to live with it, to tolerate it, to push it to furthest corners of your mind so you can function, but you never forget it. There are some things too horrible to ever forget.

Emma's hoarse voice pulled the brunette from her thoughts, "So I dream sometimes that he's beating me again, only, now that I'm older and I know what people can do to each other, it's much worse than what he ever actually did to me. But it's his face...his mocking face staring down at me." There are a few things Regina would like to do to his face. "And I thought about it all day...and my day went from bad to worse…"

There was so much she wanted to say the blonde, but there really weren't words. She was deeply sorry for this torment Emma carried with her, and the guilt of being the one responsible was a physical blow. Nothing. There was absolutely nothing Regina could do or say to make it better, and she desperately wanted feeling of having such things beyond her control and feeling so honestly guilty for the entire situation weighed heavily on her. "I'm so sorry, Emma."

She wasn't surprised to feel the other woman start to pull away from her. Honestly, she couldn't blame her. Why would anyone want to be held by the person responsible for their pain? However, Emma surprised her when she turned and buried her face against the older woman's neck. "Just...hold me, okay?"

In truth, it was the only thing Regina wanted to do. Wrapping her arms around the younger woman, she pulled her close, mentally promising to never allow anything like this to happen to Emma again. She could never erase the past, but she could do something about the future, and Regina had every intention of at least trying to do right by Emma from now on. The other woman deserved at least that much.


	22. September 12th, Master Bedroom

_**Chapter Twenty-Twenty**_  
_**Sept. 12th, Thursday Morning**_  
_**Mayor's House, Second Floor Master Bedroom**_

The alarm sounded, and Regina carefully pulled herself away from the hold she had on Emma to roll over and turn it off. She groaned to herself. She was warm, comfortable, and really had no desire to get up. What she wanted to do was stay home with the blonde and sleep, which surprised her. She rarely ever had the desire to do nothing. Perhaps it was a sign? Neither woman had been sleeping well recently. Maybe they needed a break?

With a sigh, she rolled back to face the blonde and reached out lay a hand gently on her arm and give her a little, gentle shake. "Emma, it's time to wake up, dear."

The blonde jerked away from the touch, coming awake with a start and almost yelling out in protest. "No! Er...uh...ahem." Regina watched it with an understanding eye. She'd awoken the same way enough times to know, and she made a mental note to never touch Emma when trying to wake her. Sometimes, even gentle touches caused flashbacks. "I mean...good morning."

Despite herself, Regina knew her concern was clearly etched onto her face. It was pointless to try to wipe it away, so she decided to go ahead with her suggestion for the day. "Why don't you call in today? I'll take Henry to school, come back, and we can both catch up on some much needed sleep. How does that sound?"

Emma gave her a serious yet quizzical look. "Who will keep the town from killing each other if I don't?"

She had to roll her eyes. There was more than one law enforcement person in the town. Emma could afford to take time off. In her best deadpan voice, Regina replied, "Your charming father, Deputy Dude, and his faithful, loyal sidekick, Miss Lucas. There's even a bonus. Not only is she man's best friend, but she can take herself for a walk."

That commented was rewarded with a genuine laugh from the other woman, which Regina found she really enjoyed hearing. "That..is actually really funny." A very faint, pleased smile passed by her lips at Emma's comment. Perhaps Regina could find another way to get the sheriff to laugh again?

It was such a juvenile thought that the brunette blushed a little. In spite of her best efforts, she was turning into a teenager. However, she had to admit it was nice to find someone who appreciated her dry sense of humor. Clearing her throat, she pushed on, allowing herself to plead just a little. "One day without you will not hurt them. Call in, Emma," she gave her best big-eyed expression, "...please?"

It appeared to work. The sheriff rolled her eyes and seemed to give up what little fight she was presenting. "Alright, I'll call in. But only if you promise to lie around in bed with me all day. Of course, after you take Henry to school."

Well, that had been the plan, but the brunette decided to let Emma feel as though she'd had a little win. "Let it never be said that I can't have a lazy day. I'm going to take a shower and then make breakfast. I shouldn't take long. Come have breakfast with us, dear. Henry always seems to like it when we eat meals as a family."

"Okay, I'll get up. But you can't make me get dressed or shower." The blonde playfully pointed at her, a smile dancing in her eyes. "This time. And I'll have you know that when you get back I'm stripping down to my...relatively normal sleeping attire."

Regina raised an eyebrow and smirked. They were back to being flirtatious, were they? She could happily handle that. "Even more incentive for my trip to school to be a fast one."

Emma ran a hand down her body, throwing Regina a wicked grin and wink. "I'm all the incentive you need, honey."

After allowing her eyes to follow along the path the blonde's hand had traveled, she looked only to realize she'd been caught. With a snort, she rolled her eyes and slid from bed, heading to the bathroom and not bothering to make apologies she was certain weren't needed.

* * *

**_Sept. 12th, Thursday Mid-Morning_**  
**_Mayor's House, Second Floor Master Bedroom_**

Despite the protests from Emma that breakfast had been way too healthy and the whining from Henry that he didn't want to go to school if both of his moms were allowed to stay home, Regina felt the morning had gone fairly well.

The three of them had a nice conversation after the initial whining from both children subsided. Henry had remembered they were going to watch a movie in class, which made him ultimately decide going to school would be interesting enough to stop protesting. Emma had sat by and quietly watched Henry and Regina verbally spar about what he was doing in school, who his current batch of friends were, and how well he was doing with his work. In fact, if Regina hadn't known better, she might have given credence to the idea that Emma was amused at how difficult their son could be.

After dropping Henry at school, giving a very brisk nod to Mary Margaret, and making a small stop for gas on the way home, Regina was more than ready to change and crawl back into bed.

She was tired, and she was cold. The weather was getting colder by the day, and, though she enjoyed the how the leaves turned and the clothes for the season, she hated the cold that settled into her bones. She might have the appearance and health of someone in her mid-30s, but she'd lived a long life, and the cold seemed to get worse for her with each passing year.

With a sigh, she walked into her bedroom, thinking she'd find the blonde sprawled out across the queen sized bed. What she found was an empty room. She's already been through the house, making sure doors were locked and windows were closed, a habit she'd picked up since the curse had broken, so she knew Emma wasn't down stairs.

Where could she have gone? "Emma? Where are you? Are you in the master bath? Emma?" She pulled off her blazer and hung it up. Slipping out of her shoes, she glanced around again, grumbling to herself, "I leave her alone for an hour…"

"I'm in here, Regina." Yes, the young woman was definitely in the master bathroom. Her voice echoed a bit as it floated out from the attached room. "Turns out, you have a lot of things that can make bubbles in your bath." The brunette smiled to herself. She had told the other woman something similar the other night. Baths were one of Regina's favorite pastimes. "Come in. I'm covered with mountains of them."

Come in? She paused. Was that good a idea? On one hand, the answer was most assuredly no. On the other hand, she was very curious to see what Emma looked like neck deep in bubbles. In addition, she really wanted to get warm, and she knew in reason the bathroom was probably practically a tropic oasis by now. She rolled the sleeves of her button down up, and padded on barefeet cautiously into the bathroom. Her eyes quickly found her tub, and, much to her amusement, Emma Swan was, indeed, up to her neck in bubbles. Hair slicked back and eyes dancing with mirth, the blonde was holding a rubber duck in one hand and a pile of bubbles in the other. It looked like she was giving the toy a bubble hairdo of some kind. Regina chuckled. It was actually a rather cute little scene. "Is that one of Henry's rubber ducks?"

The huge grin that crossed the younger woman's face just made Regina smile all the more. "It might be…" Emma held the duck up, and Regina realized he had bubble devil horns. She snorted. Of course Emma would give the duck bubble devil horns. "I felt it was appropriate for the occasion."

The brunette shook her head in amusement. "I'm going to finish changing and pick up where I left off on my book until you're done in here." She gave the duck a very hard look. If Regina was being honest with herself, she was a little jealous of the duck. He could stay and not feel like he was pushing boundaries that weren't ready to be broken. She, however, really needed to leave before the rest of the bubbles in the tub popped. "I'm sure you and the duck have a lot to catch up on. I won't keep you."

"What, you don't want to…" Regina raised an eyebrow in dare. Surely, Emma wasn't so bold so soon? The blonde stuttered a bit. "Um…" Apparently, she wasn't that brash. Regina smirked. Point to her. She was just about to turn to leave when the younger woman finally got over her stuttering moment, and the brunette's attentions were completely caught up as she watched with an extremely attentive eye while Emma gave a little shimmy, causing the water… and the bubbles ...to move around a bit. With a voice heavily laden with flirtation, the young woman finally managed to get out a simple offer of, "join me?"

Regina's eyebrows shot up in surprise before she could stop them. Emma Swan never ceased to amaze her. Though the older woman had to admit the offer was very tempting for a number of reason, she simply wasn't ready to take that… plunge. There was something happening between the two of them, and Regina didn't want to force it or destroy it before she could give it its best chance. Whatever this was going on, she had finally decided to see it through, which meant not taking, as she usually did. It meant showing restraint, which wasn't her forte, but she was willing to try. After previous night, the very last thing she wanted to do was hurt Emma anymore, and taking this offer in this moment would more than likely end in some tragic way because they really weren't ready to go there… yet.

Instead of taking the offer, Regina answered lightly, "Because we haven't so much as kissed, and, as impressed as I am with the nerve you must have to make that particular offer right now," she inclined her head, giving the point to Emma, "I'm going to have to remind you that I am many things, but easy isn't one of them." She gave her best cheeky grin, hoping to convey that she was trying to be playful. "I'll be in the bedroom when you're done, dear."

Emma grinned at her, giving a little snort of amusement. "As if anything with you is easy, Regina. I'll be out soon."

Regina shrugged, and, with one more jealous glance to the duck, she turned on her heels to leave.

* * *

**_Sept. 12th, Thursday Mid-Morning_**  
**_Mayor's House, Second Floor Master Bedroom_**

She loved reading. She truly did. It was a wonderful experience to be able to go somewhere else for a short time and allow your mind to create another world. In her own life, Regina supposed anyone could argue she had experienced just that in a very literal way. After all, she had been to different realms and experienced what those worlds had to offer, but it wasn't the same as allowing her mind to create the world.

Reading created a place that was just for her. No one could interrupt it or destroy it. No one could touch it, and that world always remained the same, regardless of what happened on the outside. Books had been her friends for decades, and she appreciated their stability. It was reassuring.

She was pulled from her reading when her bed shook violently as Emma flopped down on her stomach beside her. With an annoyed look, she turned to find the blonde wearing nothing but a pair of red boyshorts and a white tanktop. For a fleeting moment, she thought of throwing a blanket over the other woman to cover her, but she knew she'd never live it down. Instead, she turned back to her book and continued to read with a look she hoped was somewhat neutral.

She could feel Emma's eyes on her, and she wasn't surprised to hear a chirpy, "Whatcha reading, Regina?" a moment later.

She huffed, setting the ereader down on the nightstand. "Wicked." It suddenly occurred to her that was probably an ironic book for her to read. She shrugged it off and looked at the other woman again, tiling her head in consideration. "You seem to be feeling better. How was your bath?"

Emma shrugged, and Regina had a flash of seeing Henry do the exact same thing in the exact same way whenever he was asked a question he didn't really have what he felt was a great answer to. "It was good. Hot, bubbles, rubber ducks. Couldn't ask for a better bath." The blonde rolled onto her back and held her arms out, her voice full of appreciation. "And your bathtub is huge. I'm jealous." Regina smiled. For all of her moments of brute force and emotional hardness, Emma really was just a big kid. It was… endearing.

Before she could comment on how important it was to have a large tub, Emma broke eye contact and glanced away toward the wall. The move shook the brunette. The humor was suddenly sucked out of the air, replaced with something much more serious, and it echoed in Emma's voice. "You're not upset about this morning, are you? I'm sorry for pulling away from you."

How could Regina ever feel angry about that? She understood. She'd been there herself. "Of course not. It's not even worth mentioning." And it truly wasn't. Today wasn't the day to battle demons. It was a day to rest. Turning on her side to fully face Emma, she asked gently, "Tell me, what do you have planned for us today? I thought we might watch a movie. There are a few I've missed out on over the decades that I wouldn't mind seeing now. Normally, when I take a day off, I like to garden, but you don't strike me as the type." In truth, it was too cold outside to garden. What would she do? Rake the dead grass?

Emma turned her head, protesting weakly, "Hey, I did some pruning, once. With a chainsaw…" Regina frowned, which quickly turned into a glare. Too soon. The young woman had the decency to flinch. "Not funny?" No, definitely not funny. Regina glared a little harder. "Don't look at me like that."

The brunette raised an eyebrow as if to ask how, exactly, was she supposed to look at the other woman. Emma sighed, rolling her eyes. With a shrug, she finally answered, "I really just want to lay with you in this bed all day. Can we watch a movie in here? What movie did you have in mind?"

With a shake of her head, Regina turned to sit up in bed, leaning against the headboard. "Well, I hate to admit this aloud, but I'd actually like to catch up on the Disney movies that have been released." She'd much rather talk about movies than the destruction of her beloved apple tree. "I've been ordering them since you broke the curse, and I've been meaning to actually watch them." She looked over to see Emma trying, and failing, to stop the laughter from rolling out. This wasn't a laughing matter. Regina had a legitimate cause for wanting to watch those movies. "Stop laughing like that. I have a good reason." When the young woman wouldn't stop laughing, the brunette rolled her eyes and reached out to give her a playful shove on the shoulder. Really? It wasn't that funny. "I want to know what this world thinks of ours, and I understand that Disney is the gold star standard for what they think of us."

She could feel her face falling into an annoyed yet amused expression. The more she thought on it, the more she had to admit it was a little funny that she'd want to watch those particular movies. "So far, I've managed to avoid watching 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'. However, I would like to see 'The Little Mermaid', 'Beauty and the Beast', and 'Sleeping Beauty'. I do have all four downstairs." She had started to watch 'Snow White' on a number of occasions since purchasing it, but, every time she'd start, she couldn't get past the first scene without wanting to set something on fire. She'd eventually given up and placed it away on a shelf she didn't look at very often. With a little growl, she admitted, "Despite how much I'll likely hate it, I recognize I should probably watch 'Snow White'." She let out a very heavy sigh. It was actually in her best interests to watch that movie with Emma. It would allow the other woman a chance to hear her side of things without Regina having to relive some of the more painful moments from her past. "It could be a good opportunity for you to ask me about what our world was really like while we watch." She paused, thinking about the other times she'd attempted to watch that movie. "Or a good chance to see me curse a great deal at the television screen."

The blonde smirked. "That is possibly the cutest thing I have ever heard you say." Regina balked. No one had ever dared to call her cute. Who would do that? Right, Emma Swan would, naturally. "Okay we have to watch all of them but we'll save the hated one for last. But you forgot to order 'Pinocchio', '101 Dalmatians', and 'Cinderella." She hadn't forgotten. She hadn't gotten around to it yet, and, if the blonde thought about it, she'd realize why that was. Things in Storybrooke had been just a tad on the busy side recently. "You get the movies, I'll make the popcorn. How about that? You can throw it at the screen if you get angry!"

Yes, popcorn kernels all over her pristinely white linens was exactly the sort of thing the brunette liked considering. She rolled her eyes. "Only if you promise to clean up the kernels."

With a bounce, Emma was off of the bed and doing a small little bow. "Of course, my queen. Anything you wish."

* * *

_**Sept. 12th, Thursday Afternoon**_  
_**Mayor's House, Second Floor Master Bedroom**_

'Sleeping Beauty' hadn't been very painful to watch, but, then again, Regina didn't have much dealings with that kingdom, so she could appreciate it for the entertainment value it had. However, she was highly amused at how Maleficent was portrayed. She found herself chuckling, and sometimes outright laughing, at the scenes she was in. Had her friend still been around, Regina thought she might force her to watch the movie just so the other witch would understand all the snide comments, allusions, and references the brunette now had running around in her mind thanks to Disney's portrayal of her.

Even the idea of it was more entertaining than Regina had words for.

As she calmed down from her fit of chuckles over 'Sleeping Beauty', she and Emma had started discussing some of the Disney films she had yet to purchase, which had brought them around to discussing '101 Dalmations'. Regina thought the premise of the story was absurd. "You know, Pongo never had that many puppies." She shifted in her place on the bed, leaning back to fluff her pillows back up before resettling. "Of course, it makes for a much cuter story, but he only sired about 12 pups in all over the course of a few pregnancies." She scrunched her nose up as she thought about what she did know about the movie. "What I don't understand is why they felt the need to make Cruella look like that. She was much more…" Pretty? Attractive? Gorgeous? Hmmm, she hadn't realized she thought of Cruella as attractive before. Oh well, it was too late to do anything about it now. "curvaceous than that."

Emma's eyes widen a touch. "Tell me you did not have a thing with Cruella. That would just be so...weird." The older woman shot her an annoyed look that screamed, 'Really?' "Yes. Weird." Crossing her arms and giving a small, definitive nod, the sheriff leaned back against the headboard on her side of the bed.

The brunette had to chuckle. Only the woman next to her would even ask such a thing, let alone comment on the awkwardness of it all. "No, Cruella and I never had 'a thing'. In fact, we didn't really care for each other." No one really cared for Regina, if she were being completely honest, but now wasn't the time. "My only real friend in the Enchanted Forest, outside of my father, was Maleficent." Friend was such a relative word for their relationship. They weren't enemies; they weren't friends, but she did feel bad about how Maleficent's life had ended. The curse had been especially hard on her, turning her into a creature that never truly died, aged, or had emotions outside of rage. But who could blame her? Rage would be exactly what Regina felt if the roles were reversed. She found she felt guilty and sorry for her once friend/enemy, and the emotions passed by on face in a split second of weakness. Her voice held a volley of unspoken thoughts as she added, "That was a complicated friendship."

As if sensing the brunette's need to not dwell on her last comment, Emma switched the topic back to something lighter. In a somewhat contemplative tone, she commented, "I'm sure they had him have so many puppies in the story because dalmatians are supposed to have a lot of puppies at one time." Regina blinked. Oh, yes, they had been talking about the dalmatian story. "Poor Perdita. So glad I'm not a dog, one kid at a time is enough. And then they adopted 99 more! Even in your giant mansion here we don't have room for that many children. "

Far be it for Regina to miss an opportunity to make the other woman squirm, and, besides, she needed the distraction from her internal thoughts. Raising an eyebrow and giving her best flirtatious tone, she asked with faux innocence, "Already adding to our family, are you, Miss Swan?"

She had to give the blonde points. Emma didn't miss a beat, replying in her best faux shocked voice, "Why, Regina, we haven't even kissed yet. I'm not that easy." The young woman smirked, clearly happy with herself for being able to use something Regina had said against her. But, in the next moment, her face fell into some far away expression, eyes gone a little cloudy. In a wistful voice, she commented quietly, "Someday…"

Someday? Regina gave a little start. Did she hear that correctly? Her head whipped around, mouth slightly agape, but, before she could find words to utter, the blonde seemed to shake it off, offering up a shrug and commenting matter-of-factly, redirecting the conversation right back to where Regina didn't want to be, "Most friendships are complicated in some way. Do you want to talk about it? I don't want to pry, but I'm here for you. Otherwise, we can keep watching movies."

The brunette slowly closed her mouth and tried to pull herself out of the stunned silence she had suddenly found herself in. "There's really not much to tell," she commented rather dryly. That wasn't entirely true… okay, it wasn't true at all, but none of it mattered anymore. "Besides, she's no longer around." That was true. "That dragon you killed? That was her." The wide eyes and furrowed brow on the other woman's face was enough to make Regina have to bite back a scathing laugh. She once lived for moments like this. Though she didn't always live for those moments in the present, she did still enjoy it when she could throw a wrench in the works. "Don't look so shocked." She gave a nonchalant shrug. "Like I said, we had a complicated friendship."

"I'm not…" Emma seemed to rally, straightening her posture and squaring her shoulders against the curveball the older woman had so casually thrown at her, "shocked. I'm just," she smirked, a little defiance slipping into her shining green eyes, "imagining myself in the role of Prince Philip now. I loved that movie as a child and now?" Regina narrowed her eyes at that. Disney movies didn't feel like the blonde's style. "Well, now I've gotten to play the part I always imagined. Except under different circumstances, naturally, but still." Ah, there was the truth of the matter. Emma, much like their son, enjoyed the idea of slaying dragons and savinging damsels in distress. It must be a Charming thing.

Giving a little shrug, Emma resituated herself among the pillows and blankets. "Complicated, indeed," she muttered, eyes going far away again. This time, however, the older woman assumed her companion was daydreaming about fighting monsters and saving helpless villagers.

Regina gave a small shake of her head. The last person she wanted Emma to model herself after was Philip, the only prince she could think of who managed to get himself turned into a flaming demon dog. "If you knew Phillip, you wouldn't want to be him." If Emma knew most of the princes from the Enchanted Forest, the brunette doubted the headstrong sheriff would want to be them. They all had horrific defects in their personalities. Emma was far better off simply being herself. "He's actually a rather weak personality compared to Aurora, which isn't saying much." Not at all. Aurora was a weakling herself. They all were. There wasn't a strong couple among the ranks… except for Snow and Charming, though Regina would never admit that aloud. "A power couple, those two are not."

Emma put a finger to her lips. "Shh...don't ruin my childhood dreams with reality." She dropped her hand, and, with a tease in her voice and a mischievous sparkle in her eyes, she pointed out with a sly grin, "Besides, I have a strong personality. That's all that matters in 'who slayed a dragon' retellings. And that's a good thing because I have to have a strong personality to put up with you. We'll be the power couple in the story." Far be it for anyone to accuse Emma Swan of being anything but persistent.

The brunette groaned, making a face to indicate she was giving up the fight on this one. "I suppose. However, in most stories where there is a white knight and an evil queen, I don't believe it's ever come out that they were a power couple." Most of the time, she mused, the white knight slays the evil queen, and, in one retelling, she seemed to recall something about hot lead boots being attached to her feet and then being forced to dance herself to death. She winced, shuddering a little at the thought of some of the locals finding that story and getting ideas. "That's a new one for Henry's book." Though she'd love to see a story where the good guy and the bad guy lived happily ever after together, if for no other reason than to see the shocked expressions on the townsfolk's faces, she doubted it would ever happen. She chuckled at the thought, "Shall we move on to 'Beauty and the Beast'? I'm dying to see how they interpret Belle and that imp."

"Who says you have to be evil?" Emma was actually scowling at her, and it was a bizarre switch in positions. For a moment, Regina actually recoiled a bit. Why was the other woman so offended by a title the brunette had so rightly been given? "Can't you just be the queen?" The older woman wanted to reply, but the blonde seemed to not want to hear it. She pointed a finger at Regina, which kept Regina quiet. Narrowing her eyes, Emma declared, "And you can't make fun of me for singing along with the songs. That's written into the relationship bylaws."

The relationship bylaws? It was going to take time for Regina to accept this as a relationship. For now,however, she was going to take the day as it went, which meant making fun of Emma here in a few moments. How could she possibly pass that up now that it had been put down on the table as something she couldn't do? With a smirk, she replied flatly, "I make no promises."

* * *

_**Sept. 12th, Thursday Mid-Afternoon**_  
_**Mayor's House, Second Floor Master Bedroom**_

"Oh, this is ridiculous! The beast is actually a beast?" Regina tossed a few popcorn kernels at the screen. "Honestly, you'd think Disney had Gold confused with Ruby." Of course, sometimes she thought Belle had Ruby confused for Gold, so maybe there was something to that. "And what kind of witch sets up a boy Henry's age like that? Of course he's going to be selfish. They're all selfish at that age. The only thing working for me in this story is Belle."

Dropping the empty popcorn bowl onto the top of her nightstand, she turned back to the screen and pointed at the animated version of the librarian as the animated Belle definately snapped back at the raging beast, who had been hurt while defending her against a pack of wolves. "Belle is actually very much like that. She's adventurous, selfless, loves to read, and, for whatever reason, always manages to find the good in even the most despicable of us," she crossed her arms and scrunched her face up in thought, "which explains her relationship with Gold."

"Well, you know Disney did have to change it to make it good for 'children'. Maybe that's what they were going for?" Emma shrugged, glancing over to see the popcorn was gone. She made a face and turned back to watch the imagines flicker across the television screen. They were singing about something being there that wasn't there before, and the blonde had a strange look pass over her face. Contemplatively, she asked, "Do you believe that there's only one true love for every person? Like, Belle has to be adventurous and brave and able to see the good in the most despicable of characters like Gold because she's his one true love?"

Regina shifted uncomfortably. This wasn't a question she wanted to answer because she could already see the path the rest of the talk would likely take. However, she'd promised Emma she would explain how the Enchanted Forest worked, and she wasn't going to back down from that. She was going to keep her word. Cautiously, she replied, "In our world, that's what we're taught to believe. But, having seen a curse broken by the true love between a mother and son, I think that, perhaps, there's not really such a thing as one true love, but, rather, the idea is the love in question between two people is true." At this point in her life, the older woman really needed the latter to be true. There were things she'd been told, by fairies and by Daniel, that led her to believe it was true. "I've thought about it quite a bit, actually. Between the examples of your parents, Gold and Belle, and you and Henry, I think it's safe to say there are different types of true love."

She wrapped her arms about herself, keeping her eyes on the screen and away from Emma. "Maybe the reason Belle and Gold hold true love between them isn't because one was made for the other but because they are able to love each other despite… or inspite ...of everything?" Her mind flashed to all the things she'd done in her life compared to what Gold had done. Could there really be someone out there for her like Belle was for Gold? It was hard to think that someone could look past everything she'd done. Some of her actions had been truly atrocious, and, if Daniel were somehow still alive, she doubted he could look past it all. Daniel… She swallowed the lump down in her throat, unaware of the panic starting to take hold of her as she spoke. Eyes growing wider, face paling, and voice becoming more and more tense as she spoke, she continued her thoughts, "I don't really know. If there is only one true love for a person, then…" Then she was out of luck because Daniel was gone. "I don't know that I…" Could ever love anyone the way she loved him anyway, but she'd like to try. "I just… I just don't know…" She closed her eyes, body shaking with the effort to keep herself together. How could she be so foolish as to ever think she could love again or be loved again? What had she been thinking?

The bed shook, and she heard Emma's voice softly call to her over the sounds of the movie, "Hey, c'mere." She opened her eyes to see the blonde sitting up with her arms open in invitation. "I didn't mean to upset you. Tell me what's going through your head?"

So much. There was so much going on, and she didn't know where to start or even how. She practically fell into the offered embrace, snuggling into the blonde's arms and pressing her head beneath the other woman's chin. In a small, pained voice, she finally managed to give an answer that sounded more like shattered bits of several answers all rolled into one. "Daniel." A small sob escaped before she could stop it, and all she could do was close her eyes tightly and tense in Emma's arms, trying to fight off her demons as best she could.

"You think if there's only one true love for a person, then you're out of luck?" Emma's arms tightened their hold on the brunette, and Regina took just a split second to marvel at how well the younger woman knew her. Was she a mind reader to go along with being a human lie detector? "Well, that's just not true. I think you were right about Belle and Gold being able to love each other through everything and that being the basis for true love. I think love is a choice and not just an emotion. I think…" She felt Emma's hands curl into the fabric of her pajama top. It felt safe. It was a sign that the other woman wasn't planning to let her go, and Regina took comfort in that. "I think it would be possible for someone like me to choose to love you, in spite of our history, our family's history, everything. So don't you dare think that you've missed your chance, okay?"

Regina let out a long breath, and, with it, the tension left her body. She allowed herself to go limp in Emma's arms.

She was so tired of fighting. She was constantly battling everything all the time, and it had all worn her down to a nub. On the outside, everyone thought of her as sharp corners and hard edges, but, on the inside, she was nothing but smooth stone. There was just too much wear and tear on her soul. She wasn't convinced in her ability to withstand much more turmoil. The very thought that she might lose another person she'd given her heart to was enough to make another small sob escape. Her voice came out in an exhausted whisper. "I'm not sure I can do this. Emma, I don't know if I can do this again. The first time nearly destroyed me."

"I'm not sure, either, okay? That's what trying to find love is. It's terrifying, and it's hard." The brunette allowed the younger woman to pull her up so the were eye level with each other. There was no way for Regina to hide the hurt and pain in her eyes. She wanted to look away, but a hand on her cheek stopped her. "Look at me. I'm not going anywhere, and nothing is going to happen to me like it did to Daniel. Your mother can't take my heart, remember? It's safe. If you need to feel it every day to make sure it's safe, I'll let you. I'll do whatever it takes, whatever you need. I promise."

Those were strong words, and it left the older woman speechless. How could Emma make those promises? She had no idea what she saying… to whom she was pledging her love. She couldn't possibly know. If she did, if she truly knew, she likely wouldn't make such promises.

It was too much to keep eye contact while trying to let what the blonde said soak in. Regina pulled back, returning to her side of the bed as she lifted her eyes back to the television. She watched silently while Belle cried over the beast, declaring her love as he breathed his last breath. She lifted an eyebrow at that. It was so melodramatic, but, then again, so was the scene playing out in her bedroom. She took in a steadying breath while the beast transformed into the young man he should have always been, and Regina frowned. She would never be so transformed in the eyes of those around her. To them, she'd always be a beast.

She turned away from the screen to meet Emma's watchful gaze. She needed a distraction, a change of subject. Her voice sounded gravelly to her ears, too much emotion in too short of a time. "I think I need to stop watching Disney movies. It's too depressing." She gave a mirthless chuckle, "I wonder how many people can say Disney movies with happy endings are depressing?"

Emma shrugged, "We can always switch to Dreamworks. 'Shrek' is a big hit."

Regina shook her head in the negative. She wasn't ready for ogres either. Wiping at her face while her mind finally started to process everything that'd just happened, something occurred to her. Emma had said she loved her. Those weren't just strong words; it was brave, or idiotic… possibly both. "You know," her voice was finally falling back into it's normal intonation, "your parents are going to have a fit if they hear you making claims about loving me, don't you? And there's the added bonus that, for some reason I cannot begin to understand, Mary Margaret still considers me her stepmother." Why that was, she'd never understand. She'd tried to kill the woman on more occasions that she could recall, and there wasn't much difference in their ages. Add to the fact that Snow and the king were rarely in the castle with Regina, and it all added up to nothing more than a farce of a marriage and a non-existent mother/daughter relationship. "Our family tree is very complicated."

"My parents regularly seem to have fits. But...they believe heavily in true love. So, we'll...uh...cross that bridge later." The brunette stared at the woman beside her with an almost disbelieving expression. True love? Did she even love Emma? The evidence was starting to point to yes to that question, and she wasn't fighting it anymore. She didn't want to. "Much later. Like maybe after this is mutual and Henry knows and is okay with it and…" Emma waved a hand in the air, "all of that. As for the family tree, well, there are complications in every relationship. We'll just hope she...can look past that?"

Yes, well, Mary Margaret was an unpredictable one. She might overlook the past, or she might form a mob complete with pitchforks to take down the Evil Queen and save her baby girl. It was hard to say. It didn't matter. What did matter was Emma's uncertainty. Regina didn't like that it was there, but she wasn't ready to just come out and say what she was feeling. A compromise was in order. In an almost playful tone, she asked the other woman, "What makes you think this isn't mutual?"

Regina was rewarded with a deep blush instantly blossoming across Emma's fair skin. "I...well I mean, it hasn't been that long, I don't expect that you would feel exactly the same as I do, Regina. It's easier for me because of Henry, I think. Because I allowed myself to love Henry when I didn't think I would ever love anyone ever again. And...I can't just make claims about how you feel unless you, well, tell me."

She had a point. Perhaps it was time to tell the young woman something. Taking in a deep breath, Regina carefully laid out her thoughts. "Emma, if I didn't have some kind of feelings for you, we wouldn't be here right now. I…" She what? The heavens and universe help her, she loved the blonde, but she just couldn't say it. At least, not now. "...care deeply for you. I have for a while now." She glanced around the room, shifting uncomfortably at even that admission. "At first, I thought it was simply that I was coming to accept you as part of Henry's life, but," she found she couldn't look Emma in the eye. The other woman was watching her intently, and it was, again, too much. Regina looked around the room, anywhere but at the woman beside her, as she continued, "it's more than that. I …I went through a great deal to try to get you and Mary Margaret back from the Enchanted Forest. In part, it was because of Henry, but I'm big enough to admit that," she was starting to become annoyed with herself. Rolling her eyes, she forced herself to turn and look Emma in the eye. Taking in a very deep breath, she admitted in a more confident voice than she felt, "Had it only been Snow, I wouldn't have taken in a potentially lethal dose of a curse designed to kill any living thing it encountered."

"Regina, I don't know what to say, except…" She didn't know what she expected to hear next from Emma or what she thought Emma might do. She never had the chance to even consider the possibilities. One moment, she was sitting on her side of the bed, feeling completely exposed and extremely uncomfortable, and the next moment warm, soft, slightly chapped lips were gently pressed against her own lips. She was taken by surprise, and it took her a second to respond. When she finally did, it was to return the gentle kiss, placing a hand on Emma's shoulder to steady herself as they pulled away from each other.

She couldn't help the shy smile on her face nor the slight blush she felt crawling up her neck. "I would have taken a 'thank you," she quietly commented, the smile widening just a touch as the blush deepened, "but that works as well." She broke into a grin to match Emma's. A loud sound from across the room caught her attention. When she turned her head, she noticed the film had finally ended. "The credits have finished rolling. The movie's over." She turned to look at the blonde, who was still grinning from ear to ear. "Do you have any ideas of what we should do next?" She could feel the heat radiating off of her face. She should have been annoyed at exactly how hard she was blushing, but she couldn't be bothered.

Emma was blushing just as hard, and that meant she was in good company. The blonde muttered quietly, eyes darting down to the blankets to keep from looking at the other woman, "I'm not very wordy." When she looked back to Regina, the grin had turned into a soft smile that made the brunette feel warm all over. "We could always pick something else to watch? Non-Disney? Or we could…" A giant yawn cut off whatever the young woman was about to say. She must have taken it as a hint because her next suggestion was, "Okay, maybe we could sleep for a while?"

Yes, they could sleep for a while, but Regina wanted a little more contact first. She absolutely needed to kiss Emma a bit more, if for no other reason than to assure herself it had happened and it could happen again whenever she'd like. With a devilish smirk playing on her face, she leaned forward, pressing the other woman back into the bed as she answered with a purr in her voice, "I'm sure we can find some time to sleep, yes."

* * *

**From Regina's POV, this chapter was emotionally difficult the write. _**

**As always, thank you for reading this and Twitcherthedrunk's version as well. Reviews are appreciated, and, at this point, I'd really love to hear what you think of the character progression!**

**Please note we will be taking a hiatus next week. New post in two weeks.**


	23. September 12th, Still Master Bedroom

**We're only posting one chapter this time, but it's a long one! Our real lives have been a bit busy, but we'll try for at least two next Friday.**

* * *

_**Chapter Twenty-Three**_  
_**Sept. 12th, Thursday Afternoon**_  
_**Mayor's House, Second Floor Master Bedroom**_

The alarm sounded, and Regina had the distinct feeling of deja vu. Once again, she carefully pulled herself away from the hold she had on Emma to roll over and turn it off. She growled more than groaned at having to pull herself out of bed again. She was warm, comfortable, and really had no desire to get up. Flopping down onto her back, she stared at the ceiling as she grumbled disheartedly, "I love Henry. I do, but I really don't want to get out of bed." With a little sigh, she rolled onto her side and slid over to snuggle against Emma where she lay on her back, wrapping an arm around the other woman's waist while placing her head on the blonde's chest. She practically pouted in protest. "You're comfortable to lie on."

Emma's arm wrapped around her, and Regina pulled in even tighter against the sheriff. "Mmm," Emma stretched out the hum, clearly trying to clear the sleepy fog away, "Next time I take a day off we tell him to take the bus. If he asks why, we can say you're helping me rest." The brunette let a smile curl her lips at the sound of the blonde's soft laughter. She could already guess what was about to be said next, and she had no regrets about it. "You're not very helpful with the actual sleeping…" She felt Emma's lips press against her forehead in a chaste kiss. "...though I'm not complaining. How about you get Henry, and I promise to keep your spot warm?"

Sitting up, Regina looked down at the younger woman. She narrowed her eyes and pretended to give the suggestion serious thought for all of a few seconds. "I took him to school this morning," she said with an air of contemplation. "I think it's your turn. How about you go get him, I order pizza for dinner, and we watch a movie while we eat?" She really didn't want to change back into her regular clothes, nor did she want to cook. With a little luck, the 'talking to' Emma had with the local pizza delivery restaurant had worked, and someone would actually deliver a pizza to the mansion. "Henry can do his homework in his room tonight after dinner, and we can come back to warm our spot up again."

"But…" Of course Emma would protest, "that means I have to get dressed." Regina crossed her arms and shrugged. Such was the life of a parent, and she'd been doing it alone for years. It was time for Emma to step up and do a little parenting.

Sensing the argument was over and she had lost, the sheriff huffed and slowly started to exit the confines of the warm bed. "Fine, but there better be breadsticks with my pizza. And extra pepperoni! And Henry goes to bed early. Because…" She stopped and turned around to face Regina, a smirk on her face, "I'm sick." She gave an enthusiastic nod of her head, to which Regina chuckled.

The brunette cleared her throat a few times. "Now that you mention it," she cleared her throat again, "I seem to be feeling a bit under the weather myself."

Emma's face broke into a look of complete approval. "So Henry will have to go to bed early," she winked, clearly sealing the deal on their little conspiracy, "so he gets lots of rest so that he doesn't get sick too, of course. And we'll have to go to bed early because we're sick. Only, I'll need you to help me feel better."

Regina actually laughed aloud, letting the sound echo through her bedroom. "I'm sure I can think of something." She let a smirk play on her face as she gave a wink of her own, watching with amusement as Emma sauntered out of the room to go fetch clothes and pick up their son.

* * *

_**Sept. 12th, Thursday Night  
Mayor's House, Second Floor Master Bedroom**_

Much to both Regina and Emma's irritation, Henry played twenty questions. First he wanted to know why they'd gotten to stay home while he had to go to school, which was a less than charming repeat of the morning's conversation. After that, he'd wanted to know why Regina was still in her pajamas and if something was wrong with her. Next he'd wanted to know why Regina was allowing them to have pizza and watch a movie on a Thursday night, which lead to him asking how she'd gotten the pizza place to deliver again. Then he'd wanted to know why there was a bruise on Regina's collarbone, which was something neither she nor Emma had noticed. Regina wasn't entirely convinced Henry had bought the story of her falling down, but he'd abruptly stopped that line of questioning in favor of protesting having to go to bed at his actual bedtime of nine as opposed to staying up until ten, which he'd gotten into the habit of over the course of the past few months.

In short, he'd been exhausting, and, though Regina was thrilled to have him home, she was equally thrilled when he finally settled, finished his homework, and went to bed.

After taking a quick shower and changing into a fresher pair of pajamas, Regina happily slid into her side of the bed, proclaiming in a slightly exasperated tone, "I thought he'd never go to his room. Clearly, Henry gets his nosy streak from you."

Emma leaned over from where she sat on her side of the bed, grinning, as she protested lightly, "Hey, we're not nosy we just like to know everything." Regina tilted her head, allowing the blonde access, which she happily took. Between playful kisses, Emma pointed out, "And you're one to talk. You're the same way. You always know everything that's going on." She pulled back to look the brunette in the eye, a happy, teasing grin firmly planted on her face. "But hey, we're here now." She shrugged, "Finally."

Regina turned and leaned forward into the other woman's personal space. Her eyes raked over the blonde. She could feel herself turning predatory, and she saw no reason to hold back. She'd waited long enough. It almost felt like a lifetime. With a purr in her voice, she replied quietly, "So we are." Raising an eyebrow, she leaned even further in, leaving just a hair's breadth between them. "Do you have any ideas on how we might pass the time now that our son is safely tucked away in his room?" And the bedroom door was soundly locked. There were some things she believed in taking precautions on.

The low, sultry reply from Emma made her shiver just a touch. "Oh, I can think of several." Regina closed her eyes as Emma placed a hand on her cheek, sliding it into her hair while she moved to the side to whisper in the brunette's ear, " What do you think of this…"

Regina hummed in approval at the suggestions whispered by the blonde, pulling back enough to see the deep blush on the other woman's face. The older woman smirked. Seeing Emma deeply blush while suggesting things Regina hadn't done in centuries was both endearing and sexier than anything she'd ever recalled seeing.

The contrast made Regina want Emma all the more, and she gave a little nod, leaning into Emma's touch. "Yes, I think we can manage something like that." As in, she doubted they would sleep very much, and she already had no regrets about that. They could sleep in on the weekend.

Even with the deep blush, Emma's look turned into something bordering on predatory, even hungry. It made Regina's mouth go dry as she watched the blonde advance on her, and, for just a split second, she wondered if she was really ready for this, if either of them were, but her doubts were quickly extinguished when Emma's free hand started to roam. With a growl in her voice, the younger woman replied with determination, "Good," and Regina could not agree more.

* * *

_**Sept. 13th, Friday Morning  
Mayor's House, Second Floor Master Bedroom**_

The bed moved, and Regina slowly awoke to the sounds of her bedmate yawning and, no doubt, stretching. She waited to see if Emma would settle, but a groan from the young woman said she was waking up, not falling asleep again. However, the happy, "Good morning," that came from her still hoarse-from-sleep voice was enough to keep Regina from being irritated that they weren't going to sleep more.

She rolled over with a hum, looking up to see a huge grin beaming down at her, before she curled around the blonde's side, laying her head on Emma's shoulder. "Good morning." She settled, taking a few seconds to enjoy the sleep warmed body beneath her and the sensation of bare skin against bare skin that was far less sensual in the the moment than comforting. "Did you sleep well, dear?"

A lazy smile spread across her face at the sensation of Emma playing with her hair. She actually couldn't think of a time when anyone simply ran their fingers through her hair just because. Though she'd never ask, she sincerely hoped the other woman wouldn't stop anytime soon. It was nice to have this kind of human contact. It was innocent and peaceful and all the good things she had begun to think she'd never have the luxury of ever experiencing.

Emma's voice was still sleepy but very happy with hints of what could only be described as excitement. "I...did. I really did!" Regina could help but allow her smiled to broaden as the blonde became more and more excited about her night. "I didn't dream even a little bit, and that hasn't happened in years. Not even something random." At that bit of news, the brunette looked up with a pleasant but surprised look on her face. She was met with twinkling eyes and a broad smile. ""How about you?"

"Extremely well, thank you." She stretched out her free arm and leg, languidly letting them fall across Emma's body and moving in even closer against the other woman. " I'm loathe to get up, honestly." In fact, she hated the idea of getting out of bed so much she was seriously considering remaining there until she absolutely had to get up in order to get Henry off to school on time. The whole concept of wasting time in such a way was practically foreign to her, and she tensed a little a the wastefulness she was considering indulging in, especially after yesterday's laziness. However, she had to admit that yesterday wasn't really a wasted day, and she was thoroughly enjoying herself now, so, perhaps, there was something to be said for not being so quick to leave the bed.

Instead of chastising or demanding they get up, she teased the blonde. "You're a bad influence on me, Miss Swan." With a chuckle, she reached up and ran a finger along Emma's face, tracing the strong features she found there. She frowned as she realized that both Henry and Emma would soon be gone for the day, leaving her alone in the house once again. "I hate that you have to go to work today, but I promise that I'll do something fun for dinner for all of us tonight." Allowing her hand to rest against the side of the blonde's neck, she snuggled closer, almost afraid that, if she let go, she might find the younger woman trying to make an escape. She was a runner, after all. A thought had crossed Regina's mind. She needed to dangle something to make sure Emma came home tonight. "Maybe I can give everyone something to look forward to for the evening?"

"Mmm. Well, I don't really want you to get up either." It was nice to know the feeling was mutual, though she wasn't actually surprised to find the sheriff didn't want to get out of bed. "I kind of like you here on top of me like this." The arm wrapped around her tightened, and Regina gave a small amount of silent thanks to whatever deity in the universe was listening that Emma really did want to be there with her. "You're keeping me warm. And there are all those other benefits." Like the fact the young woman hadn't stopped playing with Regina's hair. That was a benefit she was truly enjoying.

"Something fun for tonight, you say?" Emma's voice went up a little in curiosity, but her next words sounded a little vexed, which only served to make Regina smirk. "Well, now I'll have something to guess at all day." The sound of the blonde's stomach demanding food pulled them from their morning banter. Regina gave an honest laugh at the surprised look on the other woman's face. It was cute. "Um...I might be hungry. Waffles? Ooo...and bacon! Come on, beautiful, let's get breakfast and our son."

The brunette couldn't stop her eyebrow from raising in mock judgement of such a terrible breakfast selection. "Waffles and bacon?" She gave a rueful shake of head as she reluctantly began to disentangle herself. "Why don't I make something less carb and fat heavy? How about omelets with bacon? I'll even make coffee…" She slid from the bed, not bothering to find anything to cover her. In a playful tone, she added, "for a price," before throwing a wink over her shoulder and turning to head to the master bath.

Emma gave a playful pout. "Sassy! Also there is nothing wrong with…" Regina knew the exact moment it hit Emma that the older woman was nude and slowly sauntering to the bath because the next words out of the sheriff's mouth made the brunette grin all the way to the shower. "...that view."

* * *

_**Sept. 13th, Friday Mid-Morning  
Sheriff's Station**_

The very last people in the known world Regina Mills ever wanted to see standing on her front porch were the Charmings, so the annoyed look that settled on her features as she opened the door to find them both standing there with angry and determined looks on their faces was only the tip of the iceberg of emotions she was experiencing.

Her mixed bag of emotions only intensified when Mary Margaret began a tirade about what Regina 'had done to their daughter.' The accusations were heavy and hit every possibility in the book from spells and curses to blackmail and deception. Whatever was keeping Emma at the mayor's mansion couldn't possible have to do with the sheriff wanting to be there of her own free will, and, clearly, Regina was up to no good.

With David in the background throwing in a chorus of agreements and head nods to emphasize his wife's rant, Mary Margaret did everything short of threatening physical violence. They wanted their daughter back, and they wanted Regina to undo whatever it was she had done that was keeping Emma there.

It took everything Regina had to not burn them to a crisp right where they stood, but she reasoned both Emma and Henry would be very upset to find barbequed Charming on the front porch, and, on a more important note, it was incredibly difficult to get the smell of crispy human flesh out of things like welcome mats and the like. It wasn't really worth the irritation or the pain to set them on fire, though it was very tempting. Instead, she'd slammed the door in their faces.

For about half an hour, she stomped around her home, cleaning things and cursing under her breath. She considered waiting to tell Emma about this incident when she came home, but Regina was afraid the Charmings would go to the station and try to talk their daughter into going to their home instead of the mansion. The idea terrified her. The last thing she wanted was for Emma to suddenly decide the previous night had been a mistake. She wouldn't be able to handle that.

The more Regina considered the possibility of Emma not returning to her in the evening, the more frustrated and angry she became. Finally deciding she couldn't wait until the evening, she pulled on a coat and made a beeline for the sheriff's station.

She entered a short time later to find the sheriff busily working away on paperwork, which made Regina feel a hint of appreciation. Emma was actually doing her job, which was more than she could say for the blonde's parents. With a resolute look on her face, she made her way to the sheriff's desk and stopped beside Emma's chair. She could feel her frown deepening as she crossed her arms and looked down to meet the inquisitive gaze directed up at her. "I realize you may not have time for this," she leaned against the desk, ignoring the drawer handle that bit into the side of her leg.

Emma's smile brightened as she set aside her paperwork to give the brunette her undivided attention. "I always have time for you, Regina."

The older woman huffed. She really didn't want to destroy the happy mood the sheriff seemed to be in, but she had to talk about this before something else happened. Emma should know. "I need to tell you what happened after you left with Henry this morning. I was going to wait until tonight, but, the more I think on it, the more I feel you should know sooner than later."

The bright smile faded from Emma's face. "What's going on?"

Regina's frown turned into a look of utter disgust. "Your parents paid me a visit."

Emma's face turned serious, eyes suddenly on guard. "What did they want?"

"They want me to remove whatever spell I've put you under because it's, to quote your mother, 'unfair and ridiculous' for me to use you as a means of getting at them." The brunette rolled her eyes, letting her irritation at the very prospect seep into her words. "I was unaware of this fact, but, apparently, your interest in me is none of your own doing." Giving a little shake of her head, she glared down at the blonde. "I did tell you this would happen."

Quietly, the sheriff asked in a guarded voice, "Did you fight?"

Regina hated that the first thing to come to mind for the younger woman was she had fought with the Charmings, but, of course, that's the first thought any reasonable person would have thought. After all, she'd tried to kill Snow White and Charming on any number of occasions, so why not give it another go now?

Her face hardened as she mentally ranted about how unfair it was that she had to continually prove she wasn't out to kill Snow White anymore. "No," her voice was flat, tired. "We didn't fight. I let her talk and then closed my front door. However," as she continued, her voice lost all emotion, becoming hard and chilly, "that is not to say that it will always be so easy for me to remain so inactive when provoked." If they continued to come to her door expecting to confront the Evil Queen, she would eventually be there to greet them.

She watched the sheriff take in a deep breath as she leaned back in her chair, and she waited to see what was to come. Clearly, Emma was processing. "I'm... not sure how to respond. I want to be angry. I want to be... disappointed." The blonde sighed, wiping at her suddenly weary face. "But I'm just tired of fighting, I think. Part of me wants to storm over there and yell and defend you, to defend loving you, to tell them to test me, but I'm not sure that they will believe it. I hope maybe they will accept it in time." Dropping her head in her hands, Emma let her hair fall over her face, covering her from Regina's watchful eye, but her voice betrayed whatever emotions she was trying to hide. The older woman recognized the pain and frustration there. "I hope, because I really don't want them to make me choose between you and them. I already know the answer."

The implied meaning behind Emma's words gave Regina a start. The younger woman couldn't mean that. She simply couldn't. Who would make that choice? Regina was just about to protest when Emma sat up and looked at her with something in her eyes that Regina had difficulty placing, "I am so proud of you for not fighting with them, however." Pride? That was pride she saw in Emma's eyes? It struck Regina that the last person to look at her in that way had been her father, and thinking of him made her have to swallow a lump down in her throat. She didn't want to go there. "That makes me so happy, I can't even begin to express it in words."

A gentle smile spread across the sheriff's face, and Regina tried to return it, but it was weak at best. "I am trying, and…" And what? There was so much to say, really. The brunette glanced around the room, taking a moment to manage her thoughts. What was it she was feeling the most? She had to agree with Emma. This game was getting old. "I, too, am tired of fighting. I was serious when I said I wanted a better life for Henry. Fighting with those two idiots won't accomplish that." She let herself give a long sigh. Even if she was tired of fighting and wanted to stop, she wasn't sure it would ever happen. Sometimes, change doesn't happen because old habit are truly difficult to break. What they needed was to change their patterns of behavior. She mentally groaned. She was sounding more and more like the cricket everyday. "Perhaps we should try a different approach? What's the saying here? Kill them with kindness?"

"Well, maybe if they saw us more. If we made an effort to…" Emma's face scrunched up in thought. Regina tried to keep the amusement off of her own. It wouldn't do to become an infatuated teenager when they were attempting to discuss something so serious. "...be involved not only in town events but also maybe invite them to dinner? Or go over there? Or meet in a neutral location like Granny's? What do you think?"

Regina visibly winced. What she thought was the idea of voluntarily spending time with Mary Margaret and David Nolan was akin to voluntarily spending time poking a skunk to see how long it would take before you were sprayed. "I think my natural inclination is to invite them to our home because I'd rather have them somewhere that we have more control over the environment. Besides, if we meet them in public and things go awry, the town gossip chain will act faster than the news in making sure everyone knows our situation." If official news outlets worked as quickly as the gossip chain of Storybrooke, no one would ever have issues knowing current events.

"I want to start preventing all of my private affairs from becoming public knowledge." It was bad enough there was a book out there detailing a lot of her life. She wasn't keen on having anything added to that database of knowledge. "Perhaps we could invite them to dinner tomorrow night, and you can help me with dinner preparations so there's less likely a chance I'll be accused of poisoning something," she narrowed her eyes, letting her lip curl up slightly, "as tempting as that may be."

"Tomorrow night? Hmm. Alright." Emma looked away, lost in her thoughts, and Regina turned her narrowed eyes on the blonde. Something was up. "And we're doing something tonight…" What was she talking about? Regina hadn't the foggiest. "Well, I suppose Sunday night will have to do instead." Have to do for what? She was just about to start asking questions when Emma nodded to herself and whipped her head around to look at Regina as if some major decision had been made. "Okay. We'll invite them over to dinner, today, together."

Regina groaned. Why did she have to involved in actually speaking with them? Emma ignored her. "Don't make any plans for Sunday though. Sunday is my day for us. I'll take care of everything." The sheriff shot her a mischievous grin, which only made Regina want to poke and prod until she figured out what was going on, but it was obviously the blonde was trying to do something nice for them, and, for once, Regina was going to try to let someone else take the lead.

Emma bounced a little in her seat. "I'm still looking forward to tonight, too."

"Whatever you're planning for tonight," the brunette commented with a purr to her voice, knowing the other woman was talking about the surprise promised early but unable to resist teasing just a bit, "please make sure it's something that won't wake our son up." She gave a devilish smirk, mind racing back to the night before.

"Hmm, I make no promises." Emma winked, her own smile turning a little salacious. "You know how loud I can be."

In actuality, Regina didn't know because they'd both been highly aware that Henry was just down the hall, but she very much wanted to know how loud the sheriff could be. Someday, perhaps? Glancing at the clock, she shook off the thought. There was much to do if they were going to have guests Saturday night, and she needed to get started. "I'll come back around 3:30 so we can go see your parents and make our offer. Hopefully, that will allow enough time so we may pick Henry up from school on time."

"3:30 sounds good. Or…" Emma shrugged, "we can wait, pick Henry up first, and then take him with us? I mean, Henry has been surprisingly supportive."

Henry hadn't been entirely thrilled at the notion, but he also hadn't been against it. He said something about happy endings and seeing both his moms happy, had asked if that meant Emma was going to be evil or Regina good, and, when the answer had been they would be who they were, people, he'd shrugged and said that, so long as everyone got along and no one tried to kill or curse anyone, then he thought it was great that they were going to be a family.

Considering how their son felt, the last thing Regina wanted was to expose him to a possible family feud, which might jeopardize what little support he had for his mothers' newfound relationship with each other. "No, I don't want Henry to see us all fighting over him yet again. I thought we agreed to stop putting him in the middle."

Emma winced and looked away, a guilty expression passing over her face. "I didn't mean to put him in the middle. I only meant to include him as part of the family. To have all three of us invite them over as our family. Not as some sort of protection for us against them."

Regina nodded in understanding. The young woman's heart was in the right place, but Henry needed to be protected. Things could get ugly, and their son didn't need to see that. She pushed off the desk, intent on leaving, but a thought crossed her mind that made her hesitate. "Emma, if this doesn't go well…" She trailed off, grimacing at the abundance of very real and very bad situations that could arise from all of this.

"If this doesn't go well, what?" The blonde's forehead furrowed. She was concerned, and there was obvious fear in her eyes. "Please don't just not finish a thought like that, it scares me. I want to know what you're feeling."

"I'm sorry." The brunette wiped at her face, looking for the right words that would explain and reassure at the same time. "I don't know how to handle this situation. This is the first time in fort…" She cleared her throat, stopping midword. Had it really been forty years? Even it had, Emma didn't need to know that. No one need to know that. "… a very long time that I've attempted to have something go my way without force, coercion, or manipulation."

Her voice was heavy with decades of frustration and anger all condensed down into the guilt, regret, and weariness that comes from acting on nothing but hatred for so long. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at this, but, for the first time in… a very long time," she tried not to wince. For some reason, the idea of Emma figuring out exactly how old she was was a very unappealing thought to Regina. "I truly do want to do this the right way. However, Mary Margaret and her husband seem hellbent on keeping me in my place, as it were."

She looked away, toward a wall somewhere behind Emma, unable to meet the blonde's eyes. Mary Margaret had said something which had really struck Regina. Even thinking on it now was painful because it hit upon a deep seated fear in the brunette. "She told me," she could feel her eyes glazing over as she recalled the exchange, "she knows who and what I am, and she knows now that I'll never change." Wrapping her arms around herself, she shuddered. History had proven Snow to be correct more than incorrect. "Perhaps she's right, but I'd prefer to prove her wrong, just this once." Just once, Regina wanted to be the one to win. Was that too much to ask?

Standing, Emma reached out and carefully pulled the brunette into her arms. She whispered quietly against the older woman's ear, "She may know who and what you were but until she bothers to get to know you now, she doesn't have the right to any opinion about what you might do or who you might be." Regina closed her eyes, inhaling the younger woman's scent and allowing herself to be held. Though she'd never admit it aloud, she was terrified. Emma's next words terrified her even more because no one had ever said them with such conviction. It was a great deal of pressure. "I have faith in you."

Regina tensed, resisting the urge to pull away. People who had faith in her often ended getting hurt and losing all faith and respect in her. She took in a shaky breath and whispered bleakly, "I hope it isn't misplaced."

* * *

**As always, thank you for reading and reviews are always appreciated.**


	24. September 13th, Backyard Under the Tree

_**Chapter Twenty-Four**_

As meetings go, the one between Regina, Emma, and the Charmings wasn't the worst meeting Regina had ever attended, but she certainly had attended more productive ones. What started as a peace offering of a conversation had ended in Emma placing a hand on Regina's arm to keep her from reaching out to slap the life out of Mary Margaret, who had said without so much as a hint of hesitation or shame in her voice, that Regina was using some kind of spell to 'turn Emma gay' and 'make Emma think she had feelings for the Evil Queen.'

Had the blonde in question not been present, Regina was completely certain she would have done something horrible to both Charmings and not regretted it one bit. However, the Savior earned her title and stepped in to keep anyone from doing any physical harm to anyone else, though Regina would venture to say the harm to her pride was close to irreparable.

She and Emma had left the encounter to pick Henry up from school, but Regina had been so angry she'd requested they pull over into a somewhat empty parking lot that butted up against the forest line. She'd stepped out of the car, told Emma to stay in the car, slammed the door, and walked straight into the forest only stopping when she was sure there was a heavy line of trees between her and the car Emma was supposed to be staying in.

She took in a deep breath, let it out, and chunked a handful of fireballs at a poor, unsuspecting boulder, breaking into bits as she cursed and grumbled about Snow White, her idiotic husband, and how ridiculous it was to think Regina would ever have to use a spell to get someone in her bed.

By the time she was done with ranting, she was tired and out of breath. She leaned against a tree until she was back under control, though she doubted very much her control would hold out if she saw either Charming at any point for the rest of the day. She was beyond her line of being able to stand them, and the only thing keeping them alive at this point were Emma and Henry.

Thinking on her son reminded her they still needed to pick him up and bring him home. She smiled. She bought the newest Super Smash Brothers game for the Wii, and she knew everyone would be excited about it. That was the big surprise she'd promised Emma, and she didn't want to taint it by walking into it already angry.

She took in a few more deep breaths, let them out and, with it, her rage. It was there, of course, but making Henry… and Emma happy were more important. Running a hand through her hair and straightening her clothes, she turned on her heels and walked back to the car only to find Emma sitting on the cruiser's hood with an expectant look on her face.

Regina's only reply had been to remind the sheriff she had been told to remain in the car before she'd opened the passenger door and slid in.

* * *

_**September 13th, Friday Night**_  
_**Mayor's House, Backyard Under the Apple Tree**_

After an evening of Wii gaming and a dinner of the healthiest burgers Regina could create without compromising on taste, she and Emma had settled Henry into his bed where they'd had a conversation about his mothers' ever changing relationship with each other and how his grandparents were handling those changes.

Regina had been afraid Henry would shut her out again or blame her for the tension between Emma and the Charmings, but she was completely surprised when all he actually said was they would come around when they figured out the Queen needed her knight so they could be a family.

It had stunned her so much it had left her speechless, and it was only Emma swooping in to tell Henry he was probably correct and kiss him goodnight that had brought the brunette back enough to mechanically follow the other mother's lead.

After that moment of dumbfoundedness, she and Emma had decided to spend some time under the apple tree in the backyard. It was cool outside, but they didn't seem to mind. She went through the house, double checking the windows and doors, as she had become accustomed to doing after the curse was broken, and then made her way to the backyard to find Emma sprawled out on a blanket beneath the tree.

She had to smile. The blonde had a beer in her hand and looked so relaxed it was as if she'd always been there, living in this house with Regina and their son. The word 'home' flashed through her mind while she made her way out to the blanket, and she let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding when she slid down the tree to take up residence as close to Emma as she could get. A hum of approval left her when Emma's free arm wrapped around her side, and she leaned into the other woman, resting her head on the blonde's shoulders.

For a few moments, they remained like that. Emma quietly sipped her beer and gazed up at the stars. Regina leaned against Emma, quietly enjoying the intimacy and trust involved in such a simple act as sitting under a tree at night. It was a luxury she'd never been afforded before. Up until this moment in time, she had always felt the need to be on the lookout, either from her mother or Rumple or some other enemy of the day. But, on this night, she felt safe enough to not be worried about getting caught or being attacked. She could rest, and she could trust she would be safe.

She finally understood what Henry must have felt when he first started to become close with Emma. It was little wonder the young boy wouldn't want to leave her. Regina found herself increasingly not wanting to leave the sheriff's side either.

As her mind passed over their son, she thought about their latest conversation with him. She still found herself a little dumbstruck by it. "Henry is handling all of this much better than I thought he might. I was very proud of him tonight. Perhaps I should give him more credit." She should probably give everyone more credit, if she were honest about it. "He truly shocked me when he said that, despite what the rumors around town were regarding you and me and how his grandparents seemed to be reacting, what he wanted was for us to be a family together. He doesn't seem to care about how his grandparents are behaving right now because he likes the three of us being home together. A year ago, I would never have predicted he'd be so pleased with the concept." She shook her head, still amazed that he'd said anything close to that. "Also," she pulled back to look at Emma, giving an approving smile at the little observation she'd noted tonight, "did you notice he's starting to call you Ma?"

Much to her confusion, the blonde looked away, and her voice sounded heavy with emotion when she finally replied. "Henry makes me so proud. Sometimes I look at him and I can't even imagine…" Emma cleared her throat, and Regina became concerned. The young woman looked on the verge of tears. "...how he's part of me. He always sees the good in everything. And I can't take credit for that. I didn't raise him, but he doesn't care about that. He just…" Emma finally looked back to the brunette. Her face was full of conflicting emotions. Regina could see confusion and pride, love and fear, and other things she couldn't begin to decipher there. "...loves me, and sometimes I feel like all I've really done is give birth to him and then give him up. I don't get it sometimes."

It occurred to the older woman that Emma was having a difficult time seeing herself as a mother, and that was understandable. In truth, she was getting there, but she still had a great deal to learn, though Regina didn't have any doubts it would happen. Their son, however, had already put the young blonde into a category she, herself, wasn't sure she fit into, and he'd done so without giving it a second thought. Regina could understand where that might be overwhelming. "He has a big heart," she answered thoughtfully. "I assure you he didn't get that from me."

She shrugged and decided to move on. Talking about Henry always made them both emotional, and that was the last thing she wanted to be at the moment. "Speaking of hearts, are you certain I can't just rip Snow's out and call it a day? Our meeting today still makes me angry when I think about it." Emma opened her mouth to speak, but the brunette held a hand up to stop it. She wasn't serious, and, clearly, she needed to work on her sarcastic yet teasing delivery of jokes such as this. "I'm mostly joking, of course. I would never take her heart… now." She tilted her head in thought. There had been a time she would have happily done it, though. She gave a wistful sigh at the memory. Given how badly Mary Margaret was acting, taking her heart would certainly fix a number of issues.

Emma gave a thoughtful hum from behind her beer bottle before taking a sip. "I wish she didn't make you so angry." She set the bottle down, turning back to Regina with such a serious look on her face that the older woman's guard came up. "Speaking of taking hearts, something's been bothering me. Or at least, there's something I've been thinking about. Remember when we were talking about Gold and Belle? And how she can always see the good in people because she needs to be able to see the good in Gold? Well, please don't think this is completely ridiculous," she couldn't stop herself from narrowing her eyes even as Emma looked away. What was she up to now? "But what if the reason my heart can't be removed from my chest is because I was made for you?" Regina took in a little gasp of air. Surely the sheriff couldn't be serious? She watched the blonde continue to look everywhere but at her, which assured her that, yes, Emma was completely serious.

If what their son had stated earlier had dumbfounded her, this question stunned her so much she felt the ground tilt under her a bit. Taking in a deep breath, she glanced up at the sky as if it held the answer to the thousands of questions and concerns running around in her mind. It took her some time to formulate a reply, and, when she did finally speak, she did so in a measured tone. "I think the reason Cora couldn't take your heart is because you're the product of true love." She finally brought her gaze back to Emma's and held the other woman's eyes, intent on making certain the young woman was listening and understanding what was being said. "A woman who has no concept of love at all has absolutely no power against that kind of magic. Your heart, dear, is protected by the very nature of how you came into being. Even I couldn't remove if I wanted to. I can reach into your chest and wrap my hand around it, yes, but I knew the moment it was in my palm that I couldn't remove it." She closed her eyes against the memory of having the Savior's heart in the palm of her hand. The memory was almost as heady as the experience had been. Slowly opening her eyes, she added for both her and Emma's sake, "Not that I wanted to. I did not."

She felt unsettled at the thought that anyone had ever tried. "No one can take your heart, though you may be able to freely give it away." She shrugged, helpless to give an answer that would satisfy the question, "However, I'm not sure if giving your heart to someone like me then means I can actually take it." With a sigh, she pulled back from Emma completely and leaned against the tree, crossing her arms over her chest and letting her face fall into something resembling neutrality. There were too emotions at play. She needed to step away from them if but only for a second or two.

"Oh…" Emma frowned deeply as she watched Regina move. "Do you mean that I could take it out and give it away, or were you speaking metaphorically? I…" The brunette blinked at her. Of course she had been speaking metaphorically.

Emma never finished her thought. Instead, she glanced up at the sky, silently looking for something. Regina assumed it was the same thing she had been searching for just a few moments before. She knew it wasn't up there. The stars were many things, but givers of answers to impossible questions was not one of them.

Finally, Emma took a deep breath and pulled her eyes back to Regina. There was a determined look on her face, as if she'd been warring with herself about something and had finally come to a decision. The brunette braced herself. "Can you try, Regina? I want to know. I need to know. Can you understand that? Please…" Regina couldn't stop the horrified look on her face, and then Emma said the one thing the older woman thought worse than the request just made. She said, "I trust you."

She trusted Regina? She had faith in her? What was she thinking? Why would Emma ask this? Why would she poke the bear in such a way? It was insanity to keep doing this. "I…" Regina scowled, unable to come up with a reply, so, instead, she started with an answer. "I… was speaking metaphorically." She huffed, shaking her head slowly from side to side. "You can't be serious about this. You don't want this. You don't. It's painful." Regina had no desire to hurt Emma on purpose. She'd moved passed that. The idea disturbed her. "I don't want to cause you that kind of pain. It's a type of pain you cannot even begin to fathom. It's painful on both a physical and emotional level. Removing a person's heart means removing a person's ability to truly feel while, literally, causing a massive hole inside their chest." She dropped her arms and leaned in, an earnest look in her eyes. "Listen to me and believe me when I say this." Her voice dropped into the most serious tone she had ever held. "You do not have to prove to me how much you care about me by doing this. The fact you chose to stay is enough."

It was more than enough. She didn't need anything else. This was enough. Emma was enough. Her eyes pleaded with the blonde. "Emma…" She shook her head, eyes going from the other woman's face to her chest and back to her face again. "Why do you want me to do this?"

Emma cringed, once again unable to keep eye contact with the older woman. "I'm not trying to prove how much I care about you by doing this," she protested weakly. "I'm just... I'm trying to understand myself, and you better. Regina, you know I'm a person of action. I need to do something. I need to experience something, to feel it, I can't just imagine how it would be." She let out a heavy sigh.

"I'm certainly not going to beg you to do something you don't want to. I don't need to have you hold my heart in your hand to prove how I feel about you, okay?" Emma finally made eye contact, and Regina could only look at her with disbelief.

She trailed her eyes from the the younger woman's down to her chest. For a long time, she stared at the place she knew Emma's heart rested while she considered both the other woman's words and what it would mean if Regina actually did as was requested. The consequences, either way, would change everything. Had Emma even considered that? "If I am able to physically take your heart," the brunette looked as torn as she felt. She let herself trail off as she contemplated what it would mean to be able to actually pull Emma's heart from her chest. Were either of them ready for that reality? "It would mean something very important, but it would also mean that," she finally looked to Emma's eyes again, and, this time, the older woman flinched. There was another reality the blonde would know that Regina wasn't sure she wanted the other woman to know. "...you would know exactly what kind of pain I've inflicted on…" She looked away, unable to fully finish the thought, but Emma deserved to know the truth. She had chosen to stay. She had chosen to be with Regina. The least the older woman could do was be honest with her.

Regina kept her eyes fixed on some point beyond their little bubble, incapable of making eye contact as she explained herself. "Frankly, I've lost count of how many hearts are in my collection." She once said Cora had so many hearts in her collection that it was impossible to count, and she doubted her mother even knew the number. It made her shudder to recognize how much like her mother she had become.

Forcing herself to look back to Emma, she asked quietly, "Are you certain you really want to know that? Are you ready to know the answer to either of those questions?"

Emma's voice was soft, reassuring. "Regina, I'm not afraid of what you've done in the past. I'm not afraid of who you used to be. I love you. All of you."

It would seem the night was full of bewilderment for Regina, who could only blink slowly at the blonde before her and respond in a puzzled, almost uncomprehending tone, "You love all of me." It was a statement, not a question. She wasn't questioning Emma's conviction, but she was fully confused by it. How could she claim to love all of Regina when Emma knew so very little about any of it. "You don't know all of me to be able to say that, and," the brunette's eyes fell back to Emma's chest again, "maybe you should."

Rationally, Regina knew there was no justification to prevent Emma from knowing the whole truth. The curse was broken, and there wasn't a single reason to shield the younger woman from the full brunt of everything Regina had ever been. If Emma was really choosing this, to be with Regina and care for her, all of her, then she needed to know what that meant. It was only fair.

Locking eyes with the blonde, she calmly explained what the other woman should expect. "It will hurt beyond any pain you've ever known. Be prepared. I can make it not as painful when I reach in, but there's nothing I can do thereafter to make it less painful if I'm able to remove your heart. It's a curse. It's supposed to hurt." She slowly raised her hand, placing her palm over Emma's chest just above her heart. With a resolute look on her face, she asked one more time, just to be sure, "You're certain?"

"It's a choice, Regina." Emma's eyes quickly flickered down to the hand on her chest and then back, her own face just as resolute as Regina's. "I'm absolutely certain." Tensing her muscles to brace herself for a pain she couldn't possibly begin to prepare for, she gave one emphatic nod of her head as she said in a strong voice, "Do it."

The brunette chewed on her bottom lip as she watched the other woman prepare. Giving a nod at the command, she slowly pushed her hand back into Emma's chest, trying not to feel guilty at the gasp her action caused. She was once again taken by how good it felt to have the physical manifestation of true love sitting in the palm of her hand. She mutter more to herself than Emma, "So warm…" Her voice trailed off. She lost herself for a moment to that warmth, and, when she looked up, it was Emma's steady gaze that pulled her back. Clearing her throat, she stated matter-of-factly, "I'll only try this once." She wasn't sure she was ready to try this at all, but Emma was, and it was too late to back out now. She placed her free hand on younger woman's cheek, a regretful look passing over her features, as she whispered to Emma, "I'm so sorry," before pulling her hand, heart carefully held in it, away from Emma and toward herself.

Regina looked down at the hand not on Emma's cheek and slowly blinked. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It seemed too unlikely for words, yet there it was, Emma's heart. She had been able to pull the Savior's heart from her chest. It was so implausible she was having difficulty processing it. Slowly, she looked back to Emma to find tears running down the young woman's face. The unimaginable pain and agony flowed unabated over her features, contorting her in ways Regina never wanted to see again.

Emma gasped, trying to catch her breath while falling back against the tree, effectively pulling completely away from Regina. Her voice was ragged and breathless as she gaped, managing only to say in a painstrickened voice as she continued to cry, "Oh...my...god…"

The terrified look on Regina's face at Emma's reaction was quickly replaced by one of awe as she started down at the heart in her hand. Slowly licking her lips, she commented more to herself than to Emma, "It's the most perfect heart I have ever seen." She tilted her head and pulled the heart up to look it over better. "So pure…" Her voice trailed off as she considered what one could do with a heart this pure. The possibilities were practically endless with the right spell.

She swallowed, physically giving herself a shake to force herself to stop those thoughts before they could consume her. Finally, she looked at Emma and saw the pain and emptiness in the blonde's eyes. She'd tried to warn Emma, and now the Savior knew. "That empty feeling you have? It's what they all feel like…" Regina shrugged as if it were no big deal that she'd done this to hundreds of people. Clarifying, as if it was needed, "The ones whose hearts I still have locked away feel like this, at any rate, and this?" She held Emma's heart up for them both to see, "Allows me to force you to do whatever I want you to."

Emma wiped at her eyes as she tilted her head and considered the older woman. "It feels so…" she took in a few more gasping breaths of air while searching for the right words. None came. "...indescribable. Like I'll never be whole again."

Again, Regina slowly licked her lips as she stared at the bright, shining heart in her hand. Her eyes closed against the magic radiating out from that perfect heart. It made her body vibrate in beat to it. "There's so much power in your heart, Emma…" She gave yet another physical shake to herself, forcing her eyes open again. "The magic you naturally contain is astounding. Your heart pulses with it."

The blonde carefully watched Regina, worry mixed with curiosity floating in her eyes. "What would you want to force me to do? It's…" Again she floundered for words, and the brunette looked on, wondering what she'd come up with. The young woman settled on "an interesting feeling. I wouldn't be able to stop myself; I'm yours."

Regina's smile turned predatory. She felt it happen and could do nothing to stop it. She was in complete control, and nothing anyone could do would stop it. The sheriff was more correct than she knew. Emma Swan was completely, 100% Regina Mills' toy to play with or discard as the older woman pleased. It was empowering in a way Regina had not felt in many, many years.

Because her eyes were focused on her heart, Emma seemed to miss the change of expression. With wonder in her voice, she commented, "My heart...it's so beautiful." She stared at it, eyes wide. "What kind of magic can you do with my heart, Regina? What would you want to do, that you wouldn't put it back in my chest?"

Lifting the heart near her eyes, Regina forced Emma to look at her, and, once she had the other woman's attention, she locked onto it with a look that was nothing short of cold and calculating. "With your heart, dear," the brunette's voice slowly took on a quality Emma had never heard before, and Regina's eyes grew a little crazed the longer she spoke. "There isn't a spell or curse I couldn't enact." Her entire body language shifted into something more sultry, more commanding, and far more dangerous than anything she'd ever demonstrated before. "With this kind of power," her predatory smile turned more menacing as her eyes grew darker. The air sang with power, danger, and control. It sizzled with it, and Regina seemed to flourish in it all, soaking it up and growing more and more into someone Emma had never met before, "I could gain control back of the town, and no one could stop me. I could…"

There was so much she could do and little she couldn't. Her eyes flashed with magic, and she delighted in the feel. Quirking an eyebrow, she looked back to the heart in her hand with an unsettling kind of delight in her voice. "I could rebuild the Enchanted Forest and take back my reign as Queen." Regina inhaled deeply, her eyes glued to the heart. "I wouldn't have to 'make' you do anything, Miss Swan." There was no warmth or endearment in her voice, only coldness and indifference. "Hearts used for magic are destroyed in the process." Finally, her darkened eyes trailed back to where Emma still leaned against the tree. Regina tilted her head, her inflection anything but caring. "It would kill you."

Emma slowly licked her dry lips and responded in a careful tone, "You don't have to make me do anything now, Regina." Taking in a deep breath, she pushed off the tree and to scoot closer to the brunette, reaching out and lightly touching the hand not holding her heart. "Remember when I asked you what you wanted?" Her voice was as calm as she'd ever made it, but it went unnoticed by Regina, who watched her with a piercing gaze. "You told me you hated when I backed you into corners. Is this what you want? Do you want to use my death to gain power? I can't stop you now, you're in control. Only you can stop you." Emma gently grabbed the hand in hers and held on tightly, giving it a squeeze. Regina responded with a look that bordered on annoyed. "I won't beg you. I'll just be here with you until the end." The look Emma gave was sad but open. It was clear she meant every word she said, including her last, "Until you kill me."

It was the final phrase that shot emotion through the chill Regina had fallen into, and, for a time, she stopped moving. She almost stopped breathing as her mind, heart, and darker desires warred with one another. Her body sat rigidly still, but her eyes slowly moved from Emma's heart to their joined hands, and she slowly brought them up so their hands were level with the heart she held. Though her eyes remained on their hands, her mind flickered between their hands and the heart.

This was a crossroads, and she suddenly knew, without question, the choice she made this night would decide the course of the rest of her life.

"When I was queen," she began, voice still completely devoid of emotion, "I thought I understood how to enact the curse. Part of the ingredients called for me to sacrifice the one I loved most dear. I thought it was my prized horse, and I removed his heart for the purpose, but, when I used it, the curse didn't work." Her emotionless eyes moved from their hands to Emma's eyes, where they remained. "I went to the imp and asked him what went wrong. He made it clear where I had erred. It wasn't an animal that I loved the most, but a person."

She gave an impatient sigh at the memory. "The question, of course, was what did I want more. The love of the person or my revenge?" She tilted her head with an air of defiance and arrogance she had held onto for a lifetime. "Clearly, I chose the latter, but," narrowing her eyes, Regina watched Emma intently to gauge her reaction to the next bit of information she was about to share, "I sacrificed my father's heart to do it. There are some things more important than love."

She sneered, allowing the disgust she felt at the concept of love to show plainly on her face. "Love can't bring people back from the dead, not even true love's kiss, but power?" She practically purred as she said the word. "Power can make things happen that those who only have love can only dream of. Power lasts. Love is weakness."

Emma's eyes flashed with a strong emotion that Regina didn't bother to try to place, but the blonde seemed to come to her senses. "The last person who told me that love is weakness was your mother, as she was trying to take my heart from my chest. But she was wrong, and I'll tell you what I told her then. Love is strength."

Regina rolled her eyes, and snorted. Of course the daughter of Snow White wouldn't understand. "Has your power lasted, Regina? Has it given you everything you ever wanted? Does it give you your family or the love that I know you crave from our son? Or does it just bore you eventually? Power isn't everything. You can choose love."

Regina roared back at the other woman, "Do not presume that you know what I want. You have no right to… to…" To tell her what to do or how to do it. No one had that right any longer. She had long ago made sure of it. This heart could… could what?

She looked back to the heart in question and gave a small shake of her head as her eyes moved to their still joined hands. "You have no idea how powerful you really are, and you're foolish." Her eyes remained on their hands. "So foolish at times, so trusting and, yet, so full of magic…" Regina's mind switched gears from thinking of power to thinking of why Emma didn't understand the power she innately held. She needed to know, to understand why all of this was so difficult for Regina to step away from, and there was only one way for the blonde to truly understand.

Quickly pulling her hand from Emma's grasp, she grabbed the younger woman by the wrist, forcing her hand palm up in a vice grip. She growled out in a low voice full of dares, threats, determination, and just a hint of pleading, "Learn." With that one word and no other warning, she plunged Emma's hand into her own chest while, at the same time, turning to the heart in her other hand and demanding in a calm, authoritative voice, "Take my heart."

"Oh… oh my god," Emma protested, "What are you…" but she could do nothing to stop herself from obeying the directive given to her.

Not so much as a flinch passed over Regina's face as Emma pulled her darkened heart from her chest, and she looked at it with indifference, already knowing what it looked like and beyond the point of behind disturbed at its appearance.

"Okay...that's...your heart. In my hand." The younger woman stared at the dark heart, tilting her head as she considered it. "It feels...odd. It's so different from mine. Do you know what it reminds me of? I had this bruise once. It ran all the way down my calf. Took months to heal. Got it from a boot, so it was oddly shaped. It looks like your heart has been bruised over and over." She pointed to a darker area with her free hand. "Look it's even blacker in some spots, like a black eye. I...I want to protect it. Please, I know I said I wouldn't beg, but I didn't understand how hard it was for you to resist."

Regina was holding Emma's heart, the very center of her emotions, in her hand. The blonde couldn't lie to her if she wanted to, so there was no way Regina could deny the sincerity in the other woman's words. "I can't cry, I can't feel anything right now except what I know that I'll feel when you put my heart back in my chest, but I still choose to love you, Regina. Please. Don't choose power again. Choose me."

With a grunt, the brunette very mechanically moved Emma's heart toward her chest. The blonde was holding her heart, and she'd given a directive. Despite not wanting to do so, Regina was having an almost impossible time of fighting against it. "Straight forward instructions," she stated through gritted teeth, "cannot be ignored when you give them while holding the person's heart." Her body began to shake with the effort of resisting the directive, but her hand was only inches away from Emma's chest now. "If you want me to choose on my own," it was becoming increasingly more difficult to speak as she struggled against Emma's command, "then don't tell me what to do while you have my heart in your hand." She groaned as the urge to obey overtook her, and she pushed her hand into Emma's chest, depositing the heart back where it belonged, and pulling her hand out to drop in her lap. She gave Emma a cold stare, waiting to see what she would do next.

Tears again fell down Emma's cheeks, the emotions she couldn't feel a second before now rushing full force through her system. "I didn't mean…" Regina merely tilted her head and waited. "I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking! Take it back!"

The brunette gave an exasperated sigh, rolled her eyes, and casually removed Emma's heart again. The expression on her face left no doubt she was annoyed, but it was different than before. This time, there was just a hint of warmth and amusement where none had been earlier. "And now what? We sit here all night playing cold war games with each other's hearts?" She scrunched her face up, expressing something between anger and simply being tired.

With a shake of her head, she looked down to her small, hard, black heart, and asked, "Tell me, dear. As you hold my heart in your hand and feel the command you have over me, over someone as powerful as I actually am, how does that make you feel?" She glanced to Emma's heart, knowing the other woman had to answer truthfully, and then looked into Emma's face with an unreadable expression. She was playing poker, and she aimed to win this hand. It was time for someone else to really, truly understand.

Emma gave a quick, fevered shake of her head as she moved to replace Regina's heart, but the brunette's question stopped her mid-motion. The pause pleased Regina. It meant Emma was going to not fight answering the question. "It's...I don't know. I didn't think about it before you asked." Of course she hadn't. The question was, in it's own right, a type of command. Now she had to think about it.

The younger woman tilted her head as she looked at the heart in her hand and then back up to meet Regina's eyes. "I didn't realize how powerful you actually are until now. It's kind of...refreshing. I thought it was easy for you to not use magic, but now I see…" Regina felt a tension she didn't even know she carried begin to relax with Emma's words. "Now I really understand your struggle. I told you I want to protect your heart and you. Maybe it's the savior thing, or the knight thing." Emma rolled her eyes, and the older woman gave just a hint of smirk.

"Maybe it's just my choice, or because you're holding my heart and I'm yours…" Regina frowned and started to say something to that, but Emma stopped her with a word. "No. I take that back. I've been yours since that day right inside your door when you snapped at me about asking about your land. I…feel...like I could get you to tell me everything. That's all I want from you, I want you to share with me. But I don't need your heart for that." Leaning forward, Emma gently pushed Regina's heart back into place. "I just need you to trust me like you said you did."

Regina winced at both the physical pain caused by her heart being returned and by the reminder that she'd apparently gone against her word. She did trust Emma, and that was part of the problem. She'd never trusted a soul as she trusted the woman before her, and it frightened her, but it wasn't something she wanted to run from. It wasn't even something she wanted to control, and, in that thought, Regina had her answer.

Taking in a shuddering breath, she whispered gently, "Emma…" The name trailed off, and she had to to swallow a few times. Her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. This woman, this savior, was either going to be the death of her, or… or her own savior. She wasn't sure anymore, if ever she was. What she was sure of was she didn't want the power. At least, not any more.

"You're still foolish." Her voice was hoarse and broken, a sad smile brushed over her face as she pushed Emma's heart back into place. "But, perhaps we both are?" She wiped at her face, trying to brush away the few tears that had managed to escape. She couldn't meet the other woman's eyes. It was all too much, and she was too ashamed of what had just happened.

"I'll take being foolish." With that declaration, the blonde launched herself at Regina, hugging her tightly and knocking them over. Not bothering to wipe her own tears away, she declared happily, "I wouldn't change it. I won't take it back."

"Emma!" The last thing Regina expected was to be tackle hugged, and it took her completely by surprise. With a chuckle, she wiped away the younger woman's tears. Leave it to Emma Swan to break the tension by doing something completely illogical for the situation. "I believe you. I do." Looking up into a face she was coming to trust more and more with each passing day, Regina reached a hand up to run it gently along Emma's face. "It's getting late. We should go back inside and go to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a very big day, and," the older woman gave a watery-eyed smile. She was going to say it, and she was going to mean it, even if it was hard for her to get the words out. "I hope you know that I love you, too, which means," her words came out all in a rush, "that, whether this dinner with your parents goes well or not, I promise that it won't affect how we or our family live our lives." She forced herself to slow down. She was picking her road and determining the course of things. This was too important to rush through simply because she was scared. "It's about time I started ignoring other people's judgements. Don't you think?"

"I think that sounds wonderful." Pulling up, Emma helped Regina stand and then sniffed a little before letting out a breathy laugh. With a broad grin, she boldly asked, "Can I stay with you tonight? I don't want to let you go." She slid an arm around Regina and pulled her tight to emphasize her point. "Please? And...can we...tell Henry tomorrow morning? We said we'd tell him first."

Regina nodded, giving a sheepish smile in return and ducking her head slightly. She looked away, mumbling quietly, "Stay every night." Pulling away from Emma, she led them to the house. "We'll talk to Henry at breakfast. Now, let's go to our bedroom, shall we?" She opened the back door, making a motion with her hand to indicate Emma should enter first.

With a nod and grin, the blonde happily answered, "Every night."

* * *

**I would like to point that, while writing this scene up, Regina actually scared _me_, and _I_ know what's happening next.**


	25. September 14th, Basement

_**Chapter Twenty-Five**_  
_**September 14th, Saturday Evening**_  
_**Mayor's House, Basement**_

"You didn't tell me there was a pool table in the basement, Regina." Emma held up another dart to throw at the board hanging on the wall ahead of her as Regina watched on with a look of almost, but not quite, boredom on her face. The blonde was pretending to be angry, and it was cute, but the older woman had no desire to encourage it as a habit. That sort of behavior could get old very easily. "That's just unacceptable. And darts. Oh!" The younger woman hurled the dart across the room, and it landed with a thud along the outer rim of the board. "I know exactly how to entertain my parents tonight now! Come on, let's practice. We'll play cricket. You know how, right?"

Did Regina know how to play cricket? The brunette rolled her eyes and motioned with a disinterested hand toward the board. "I own the dart board, and I've been here for 28 years with little to nothing to really do with my time. What do you think?" In a swift motion, she plucked the last dart from Emma's hand and threw it across the room. It landed almost perfectly in the center of the board. She turned to the other women with a smirk and a quirked eyebrow, as if to say, 'Wasn't that a silly question you just asked?'

She had a hard time holding back a chuckle when Emma muttered, "Show off," under her breath as she went to retrieve the darts. When she turned back, the brunette's smirk grew a little more mischievous. The narrowed eyes and determined face she saw settling on the blonde's face told her a challenge was coming, and she did so like to be challenged.

Emma leaned against the wall beside her with a hand held out, darts balanced on her palm. "Do it again, then." Regina shrugged and plucked a retrieved dart from Emma's hands. As she turned to the board, the blonde proclaimed in a annoyed voice, "And you better not have enchanted the darts!" The brunette turned to give her a hard look, but the look quickly turned amused. With her arms folded over her chest and deadly determined face, Emma looked so much like Henry when he was annoyed and wanted proof of something that it struck the older woman as extremely adorable. Instead of scowling at the blonde, she smiled warmly before turning back to the task at hand.

Giving a little shrug, she took aim, and threw another almost perfect bullseye. Triumphant, and a little relieved that it landed where she'd wanted, she turned back and commented casually, "It's called having skills, Emma, and I have many." Her smirk turned into a mischievous smile, and she gave a little wink. If there was one thing the sheriff knew by now, it was that the brunette was a woman of many skills.

The clock caught her attention; it was getting late. Their guests would be there soon. "Don't you think we should tend to dinner?"

Emma gave a heavy, defeated sounding sigh. "Well, since I obviously can't win at darts, I suppose. What are we making? I can handle the salad!"

Once again, Regina was struck with how many facial expression the blonde and their son shared. This time, it was the pleased as punch look Emma was giving at the notion that she could actually help with something in the kitchen, but, then again, she had earned that pride. Regina had spent time helping Emma learn the basics, and it was paying off even though they hadn't attempted many lessons. However, Emma was now able to cut vegetables up without butchering them, and Regina considered that a small victory.

The brunette picked up the remaining two darts and threw them at the board, landing them near, but not quite on, the outer bullseye. "Tonight, I'm cooking a roast, and of course you're going to make the salad. However, I think you'll be more interested in what's for dessert." She had big plans for dessert, both during the time the Charmings were in their home and after. The very thought of the after made her smile turn devilish, and she flashed it over her shoulder as she headed for the stairs.

"Hang on," Emma motioned for her to turn around. "come back here a moment."

Regina stopped and turned, head tilted in curiosity at the smirk plastered on the other woman's face. She was just at the bottom of the stairs, and walking all the way back over there for no apparent reason seemed odd. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow in question. "Hmmm?"

"No, no." Emma motioned again for her to return. "Come over here, please."

Oh, the younger woman was definitely up to something. Curiosity finally piqued enough to motivated her to return, Regina sauntered back over, putting just a little more sway in her walk to keep up the somewhat predatory look in Emma's eyes. She stopped just a few inches from the blonde. "Yes, dear?"

Emma gave a cheeky grin and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "I just wanted to watch you walk away again." Regina snorted but she could feel a blush rise on her cheeks as the blonde made a large gesture with her hands, swooping down in character of some long forgotten person from the court and proclaimed with a twinkle in her eye, "You may proceed."

The brunette chuckled, giving a small nod of her head in response. She responded in her best courtly voice, "Why thank you, Princess," and then proceeded back toward the stairs, extra sway still in her eyes. At the bottom of the stairs, she paused and looked over her shoulder to waggle her eyes suggestively before heading up.

She heard Emma's voice float up to her ears with an air of something only slightly carnal, "You are most welcome, my Queen."

* * *

_**Sept. 14th, Saturday Night  
Mayor's House, Second Floor Master Bedroom**_

"Honestly, I don't know what the big deal was." Regina gave a nonchalant shrug, slipping into her side of the bed and propping up on a few pillows for comfort as she tried to catch up on a few chapters on her ereader. "It was just dessert. It wasn't as though I offered up the flesh of the unborn." She gave her best annoyed look as she flipped the reader on.

She could feel Emma's eyes on her from where she stood by the window on the other side of the room. Clearly, the young woman was trying to be extremely patient with the situation, though, to be fair, she was probably in her rights to be very annoyed with Regina for the dessert stunt she'd pulled. "I tried to tell them you didn't do anything to the turnover, but you know how my father is." The blonde crossed her arms and huffed in frustration. "They ate the rest of it without complaint, though. It was oddly...charming."

Regina glanced up to see the blonde snickering at her own joke. She scoffed at her. "Honestly, Emma." Waving her hand to brush away the terrible pun, Regina offered, "I think that, other than dessert, things went as well as could be expected, don't you? Henry seemed thrilled that his grandparents were having dinner with us, and your mother seemed honestly surprised at how domestic you and I seemed, which I consider a small win for me and you." Anything that could get under Mary Margaret's skin while making Regina and the people she cared about happy was a small win, as far as Regina was concerned.

"And," the older woman scrunched her face up in mock consideration, "as an added bonus, we have extra cherry turnovers for tomorrow." She glanced from her ereader, "Are you coming to bed… Princess?" She made certain to accent the word in her best Queen's voice while giving a little smirk. There was something she really enjoyed about calling Emma a princess, and, truth be told, the title was accurate.

The blonde scowled at her but didn't say a thing about the light goad, much to Regina's disappointment. She was honestly starting to miss their little back-and-forths even as she was truly enjoying the newly budding relationship between them. Part of Emma's charm was the fact she challenged Regina, and, what was a good challenge if it didn't involve a little heat now and again?

Instead of rising to the bait, Emma looked extremely contemplative, and the next light goad Regina was about to throw her way died before it even began. She waited until Emma finally spoke. "Would you hat…" The young woman stopped mid-word, pausing as if she were afraid to ask the question. Whatever was on her mind was something she considered to be a delicate topic, and Regina would respect that and wait. Finally, Emma started again, "I know you're very...settled...in here, but could we...redecorate?" Emma's eyes scanned the room, studiously avoiding the brunette. "I have a thing. It helps me sleep."

Whatever was about to be said, that was not at all what Regina was expecting. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but that certainly wasn't it. She'd actually never considered redecoration, but, as she looked about her room, she realized that it couldn't hurt. "Well, I suppose at some point we'll have to redecorate the entire house," she rationalized. If the house was to be their home, then it only seemed right that the decor match them both. "We can start here, if you'd like. What is this thing you need in here tonight?"

By the look tossed her way, she realized she'd misunderstood. "I didn't mean an actual thing. I meant like a psychological thing." She winced. She should have known that's what Emma meant. She watched while the other woman finished stripping down to her boyshorts and flopped onto the bed. She threw an arm over her eyes as she tried to explain to the older woman what she meant, as if covering her eyes would hide her away. "I have a need to own wherever I sleep. This is your room, not our room or my room. Owning my space cuts down on recurring nightmares and dreams." Emma rolled over onto her stomach, throwing an arm across Regina's lap, which was the brunette's cue to put her ereader back on the nightstand. Obviously, she wasn't going to get any reading done, not that she minded for once. "That's what I mean by thing."

It made a great deal of sense. It was about control, and Regina completely understood the need to control one's environment. "Emma," her voice was warm, but the memories of why she had her own need to control things gave a little strain to the sound. There were some things she supposed she'd never be able to step away from. "I just said we can redecorate. I do understand. Of all the people you have known or ever will, I promise you there is no one who better understands the need to control one's environment than I. We can sit down tomorrow and discuss how we would like for our bedroom to look, okay?" And, while Emma was working, Regina could make the changes. It would give her something to do with her time other than putter.

With a slight nod, Emma looked over to give a very small smile. "Okay. I just didn't want you to think I was holding back." The comment struck Regina oddly, but she didn't have time to really dwell on why that was. The younger woman was starting to snuggle in closer to her, and the feel of her body moving in was a great distraction. "You're wonderful. Still reading the same book? You know, Henry blew threw all of those comics we bought already."

It took Regina a moment to catch up with the subject change, and, when she did, her voice was a little hoarse. "Yes, though I'm almost done." She cleared her throat a few times. She was suddenly… parched. "He normally reads through them fairly quickly." Time for a subject change of her own. She loved their son, but she wasn't in the mood to talk about him right now. Glancing over the exposed expanse of skin before her, she smirked and motioned with her head, "Is this how you normally sleep?"

Emma cocked an eyebrow in response, "I did tell you when I moved in." Though the older woman let her eyes wander, she managed to catch the sly smirk on the other woman's face. "I figured there was no need for me to keep even the little bit I was wearing on anymore." She was going to snap back with a quick retort, but Emma rolled onto her back and gave a long, languid stretch that kept Regina's attention until the blonde asked in a faux concerned manner, "Will that be a problem?"

Regina gave a contented sigh and shrugged. "Only if Henry decides to come in here because he needs us for something."

With a little shrug, Emma replied, "After the first time, he'll learn to knock. Or tomorrow while we're planning our redecorating at breakfast I'll explain to him that he should never just barge in to our room unless it's an emergency. He's almost eleven, not three. He can be respectful. Speaking of tomorrow," the blonde raised up to lean on her elbows, eyes full of excitement. Regina was having a hard time concentrating on whatever had the sheriff so excited, however. Her mind had moved on to other things. "It's still my day for me and you. Henry is spending the day with my parents, and we are going out." If Emma was showing any outward signs of her excitement, Regina was completely missing it. Her eyes had found the blonde's abs. "Before you ask, no, they're not asking for anything in return for keeping Henry occupied."

Henry occupied? Were they still talking about Henry? Regina closed her eyes and slowly licked her lips, trying to center on their actual conversation as opposed to what she was currently the central focus of her mind. "I'll admit," she said in an even more hoarse voice, "I am very curious about tomorrow. I'm trying to stop myself from being too… curious. I know you want this to be a surprise." She could do this. She could focus on business. She didn't have to give into temptation. If Emma Swan could have a civil conversation while being almost completely nude and fully stretched on on display before her like some prized dish, then the brunette could most certainly engage in the conversation without jumping in to partake of the offered delicacy. She opened her eyes and quickly found Emma's. "What time are we taking Henry to your parents'?" No, Regina was only fooling herself. She was not the type to deny herself much of anything. Her hand was out and running along Emma's stomach before she knew what she was doing, and the light shiver that ran through the other woman told her Emma was toying with her. Neither one of them was really invested in this conversation.

Emma licked her lips and took in a shaky breath. "Right after breakfast. I think they're taking him either to ride horses or go paintballing or something equally active. Both were talked about, I don't remember what they settled on."

Slowly, Regina pulled the pads of her fingers along Emma's torso, toward her chest. Her voice was a purr as she commented teasingly, "Well, I was going to suggest we stay up a bit later, but perhaps we should get some sleep so we're not late getting Henry ready?" She let her hand continue to wander, watching with darkened eyes as the blonde began to squirm.

"Stay up later? Now, what did you have in mind?" Emma's eyes flashed with something visceral, and her voice matched Regina's dark tone as she pointed out, " You know I don't need that much sleep…"

Pushing up and leaning into the other woman, the younger woman gave a devilish grin as she slid her free hand along Regina's collarbone.

The brunette gave a dark hum of approval. "What a happy coincidence. Neither do I."

* * *

**As always, thank you for reading, and we do appreciate reviews. It keeps us motivate. ;-)**


	26. September 15th, Someplace Unknown

_**Chapter Twenty-Six**_  
_**September 15th, Sunday Morning**_  
_**The Deathtrap, Someplace Unknown**_

The morning had been blissful. Regina had awoken to find herself cocooned in Emma's arms, which was a habit she was quickly becoming fond of. The birds outside their window chirped away, playing in the morning dew while she remained warm and snuggled in bed with the still sleeping blonde.

She listened to them for a bit, wondering what they were saying that made them sound so happy when a thought crossed her mind. Snow White would know what they were saying. That thought made her snort. Realization hit her. Despite herself, she was mentally starting to sound like those insufferable Charmings.

She gagged a little at the thought, which stirred Emma from her sleep. Regina tried to cover it up by clearing her throat and further distracted the other woman by giving her something extremely enjoyable to wake up to, happily picking up where they'd left off the night before.

After breakfast was eaten, their son was off with his grandparents, and she and Emma had some play time alone in the house, Regina had found herself standing by the passenger's side of the little yellow bug. It took Emma a good ten minutes to talk the brunette into agreeing to be both blindfolded and ride in the Beetle. Truth be told, it was more the being blindfolded part than the riding in the bug part that bothered the older woman, but she didn't want to be too difficult. It appeared as though Emma had put a great deal of thought into whatever it was they were about to do, and Regina would try to trust in her.

So, after a good amount of protesting about the car, a few well placed groans and huffs, and a little manipulation to receive a few kisses, Regina allowed Emma to place the blindfold on her and carefully lower her into the passenger's seat of the car.

A moment later, the driver's side door closed, and the car started up. Regina tried to remain calm. She tried to regulate her breathing and mentally repeat her new mantra to herself. She would trust Emma. She would trust Emma. She would...

"You know," the blonde's voice cut into Regina's mental chanting, "you could always put up less of a fight about getting into my car. It isn't that bad. Just because you can't see doesn't mean I'm going to let you die." The brunette frowned. She'd never said she thought they were going to be killed. She said she didn't like not knowing who was around, just in case. "The place we are going isn't far."

That wasn't as reassuring a statement as the other woman probably assumed it would be. Regina took in a slow, steady breath. Her hands curled into fists in her lap as she tried to keep herself as calm as possible, but she couldn't stop the little jump when she felt Emma's hand close over the top of one of her own.

When blindfolded, she had learned, being touched was normally not for comfort.

She didn't want to go there. She really did not want her mind to fall back into the memories. She needed a distraction. Being snarky to Emma had never failed in the past to be just that, so now shouldn't be any different. "I feel ridiculous like this." She tried to sound annoyed and aloof, hoping her fear wasn't showing itself in her words. "If we're driving down Main Street, the people watching this probably think you've finally come to your senses and are taking me to the shooting post." That was a terrifyingly real observation, actually. The townspeople would more than likely pay good money to see such a thing.

Despite her biting words and harsh observation, she was still shaky, and she tried to center herself by releasing her hand from the fist it was in and entwining her fingers with Emma's. It calmed her a bit to feel grounded in Emma's touch, but she continued to focus on keeping her breathing even lest she break down into a panic attack.

"Won't they be surprised when we return, then? You know how much I love disappointing people's expectations of me." It was becoming abundantly clear exactly how much the Savior enjoyed not fulfilling expectations. It was a trait Regina was beginning to very much appreciated. She also appreciated Emma running her thumb along her palm. The motion was soothing. It helped. She would trust Emma. "I think I've done a pretty good job of it here in this town all the way around."

"I have to agree with you there." There was a mounting pile of evidence. It would be difficult to disagree at this point. The largest feather in Emma's cap of 'ways to disappoint the town' was, of course, the fact she was in a relationship with Regina. That thought made the older woman give just a tiny hint of smile. There was something satisfying about that fact.

She let out a breath and her head fall against the headrest. She was starting to tense up to the point her shoulders ached. She needed to try to relax. She would trust Emma. "How long before I can take this off? The last time I had a blindfold on was not a pleasant experience, and I'm anxious to be rid of this one." That had been the day Snow and Charming had put her in front of a line of archers, only to change their minds at the last minute and spare her life. Too bad, too. The speech she'd give before they put the blindfold on had been glorious. It was a shame cell phones didn't exist in the Enchanted Forest. That video would have gone viral.

Emma squeezed her hand, pulling her from her thoughts. "If I ask you to tell me what happened, will it ruin the day? It isn't much farther, it's a short drive and just a little bit of a walk."

"Actually, I think it may, but," Regina wanted to be honest with Emma. The sheriff needed to know everything if she was going to stay. That was the other mantra regarding the younger woman that Regina was going to try to stick to. Be open and honest with Emma. "Ask me again at some later date, and I promise to tell you about it."

She heard the blonde grunt in reply before saying in a soft voice, "You can take it off now if you need to, I'd rather you be comfortable and have fun than really worry about spoiling the surprise."

That was a welcome relief. She was starting to break into a cold sweat in spite of herself. Pulling both hands free, she started to remove the blindfold but stopped. She would trust Emma. She let her hands drop back to her lap. "I'm going to leave it, but how about a distraction?" That's what she'd been looking for since she started this ride. "Tell me what your parents said when you took Henry up to their apartment this morning."

"Okay, I will." She felt Emma's hand again entwine with her own, and she clutched onto it like the lifeline it was. "Well, they made me tell them where we were going, when we were going to be back, all that sort of ridiculous date stuff that you expect when you're sixteen but not when you're twenty-nine. But I sort of understand. They need to be able to build trust for both of us. And they decided to take Henry to paintball. I think it was his choice. I'm trying to just," she could practically hear the shrug in the blonde's voice, "go with it in the hopes that they'll back off a bit when they see I'm still myself and I'm not going anywhere. Unless they push me."

That last sentence was bit ominous, but the older woman wasn't in the headspace to tackle it. She needed to remain light and dark-emotion free. Instead, she decided to focus on the Charmings themselves. That was always good for a chuckle. "I suppose this means that the next time Charming sees me he'll be cleaning his handgun in an overly menacing way? Well, it's a start." She shrugged. His handgun wasn't any match for her magic. He really couldn't hope to be the least bit intimidating with that toy of his. She smirked. Hers was much bigger than his. "Do I get a clue as to where we're going?"

Her last question was ignored, and the car made a turn, pushing Regina against the passenger's door. She scowled, turning in Emma's direction. Even though the sheriff couldn't see her eyes, she was certain she could feel the scowl. Emma, for her part, sounded completely oblivious to the bruise she had just put on Regina's arm. "Either his handgun, or his broadsword, which he still seems to be attached to despite the fact he's not in the Enchanted Forest anymore. Feel free to laugh outright at him, because I will be rolling in tears if he actually does anything like that."

"You know, he's always had an odd attachment to his sword. It must be a male 'thing'. I see them here in this world with that same attachment to firearms. I would accuse Charming of trying to overcompensate for something, but I promised you I'd try to behave." Besides, it wasn't as if he couldn't perform. Emma was here, after all. "However, if he accuses me of trying to corrupt his daughter, I may feel the need to inform him that his daughter took the initiative in that area, not I."

She could picture the scene folding out in her mind's eye. Charming would be standing at her front door with his ever present sword once again pointed at her throat while he yells at her about corrupting his little girl. She would be calmly standing inside her door with a look of disinterest painted on her face. She'd wait until he was done, and then inform him that it was Emma, not she, who made the first move, and it was Emma, not she, who was the first to make the other… hmmm, well, perhaps not that much information… unless he deserved it.

She felt a devilish smirk fall across her features. Now, wouldn't that be a fun afternoon?

Emma chuckled. "What can I say, it's in the blood!" Being a complete idiot in manners that didn't pertain to you was in the blood? Regina gave a mental plea to any gods listening to make sure Henry took more after nurture than nature. She was going to make a remark in that vein when Emma began to rub her thumb over her palm once again. It was enough to quiet the brunette down. "As for where we're going? Well, let's say there will be a great deal of water involved. And some aluminium foil. If you can figure that out, I'll be extremely impressed."

Well, Regina had asked for a distraction, though playing the guessing game was never a favorite of hers. However, she played along, going for the obvious. In a rather flat, unimpressed tone, she replied, "We're going to the beach for a cookout?"

"Nope! Come on, that would be extremely boring. Also, we did just eat." Yes, so they had… in every way that sentence implied. It had been a good morning.

Of course, Regina should have known Emma wouldn't go for the obvious. Perhaps something less so? What had she heard about tinfoil and college aged students? An ABC party, wasn't it? "If it involves tinfoil bikinis, I may have to reevaluate this relationship."

"For crying out loud, it's cold out, Regina. It's early fall." The brunette smiled, happy to finally get a real rise out of the other woman. She felt the car come to a stop and let out a sigh of relief. They were that much closer to her no longer being blindfolded. "Come on, we're almost there. Just a short walk!" Good. She needed this part of their adventure to be over soon. The distractions were helpful, but it hadn't made her anxiety go away. She'd only been able to ignore it. She started to reach for the door handle, but was stopped by Emma's voice. "Well, hang on, I'll help you out." The car moved as Emma hopped from her side, and, a moment later, the passenger's door opened. She felt Emma's hand take her own, and she allowed the other woman to gently pull her from the car, closing the door behind them.

When the blindfold wasn't removed, Regina tensed up completely. Emma was going to have her wear it longer? This couldn't end well. Being walked anywhere with a blindfold on never ended well. She wanted to trust Emma, but her nerves were about at their end. She stood rigidly, her hands tightly grasping at Emma's as she snapped out, "I suppose this would be a good time to point out I could twist an ankle."

She could smell the woods all around her. She couldn't hear any other cars around, and she knew they'd been driving long enough to have arrived somewhere on the outskirts of town. Anything could happen to them here where no one really knew where they were. Anything. It was risky. It was dangerous. Who knew what kind of traps could be out there waiting for them? No one would ever know what happened to them, and Regina wouldn't even have a fighting chance because she had allowed herself to be blindfolded.

This was not good. It was not good at all. She wanted to protest heavily. She wanted to point out all of the dangers. She wanted to remind Emma of who, exactly, she was leading around like a blind and lost puppy. Regina was a target for many people. She had more enemies than hairs on her head. She suddenly wasn't sure she could continue to do this, to allow Emma her moment, but then the other woman spoke, and her voice was nothing but warmth and happiness and reassurances. She couldn't destroy that with the reality of her internal fears.

"As if I would let you fall, slip, or stumble. What kind of knight do you take me for?" Emma's arm slid through Regina's, and the brunette willed herself to relax. She would trust Emma. "Come on, milady. Our adventure awaits!"

* * *

_**Sunday Early Afternoon**_  
_**The Forest Surrounding the Town**_

"Here we are! You can take off your blindfold."

Regina let out a shaky breath as she reached up to snatch the blindfold from her head, careful not to muss her hair too much. She blinked a few times, letting her eyes adjust and her nerves finally calm while she watched Emma turn a beaming smile towards her and make a massive sweeping gesture with one of her arms. "What do you think?"

What did she think? What she thought was there was nothing around for miles but trees, shrubs, and small, furry woodland creatures. Why had Emma insisted on blindfolding her, putting her through all of that almost panic, and making her take a ride in that deathtrap of a car just to bring her out to the middle of nowhere? It made no sense. She crossed her arms, face pulling down into a scowl.

She went through all of that...that...emotion for nothing? What she thought was she was on the verge of being extremely angry. With one more look around, she settled her ire and glared at Emma. "There's nothing here."

It was fully gratifying to see the blonde wince. There was another biting retort on the tip of Regina's tongue that died there when she saw the other woman pull out tinfoil. She'd completely forgotten about that part, and now her curiosity was peaked. If they weren't going to cook something, and they weren't going to do something adolescent, then what were they going to do?

Instead of saying something else, Regina remained quiet, waiting to see what was next. Emma frowned, clearly trying to hold any potential disappointment at bay. "Okay," she said as she started to open the new box of foil, "that's kind of the point. There's nothing and no one here to bother us or take pictures or share what we're doing, and…" She struggled, pulling a piece of foil off the roll, keeping her eyes on the task and rushing through the rest of her master plan, "I thought we could make little boats out of the foil and race them in the water."

Making boats and racing them? This was what had Emma so excited for their day? She wanted to bring them to some private, secluded area where no one could watch them and play with handmade toys?

It was brilliant. Regina immediately loved the idea of spending a lazy Sunday morning doing nothing more than spending quality time with the other woman without having to worry about people watching them, judging them, or trying to find ways to blackmail them. Of course, after everything Emma had just put her through, Regina wasn't about to give in so easily and show her approval. No, the sheriff needed to squirm a bit more.

So, with the best expressionless face she could muster, Regina quirked only her eyebrow and drawled out in an almost but not quite bored tone, "I see."

She watched Emma with cold, uninterested eyes, and the effect was exactly what she expected. The you woman shifted uncomfortably under her gaze for the long, drawn out seconds the brunette stared her down.

Finally taking pity, Regina reached forward to take the sheet of tinfoil from Emma's grasp, asking in an even voice, though her eyes and face finally filled with approval for the plan, "Will there be tinfoil captains to man our ships?" Smirking, she threw the blonde a wink before walking over to a nearby tree stump, which looked to be as good a table as they would likely find.

As she knelt down on the ground before the stump, she looked up to see Emma sigh in relief, and she smiled at how suddenly happy the blonde was. "Yes!" She practically skipped over to the stump, dropping down beside Regina and pulling out another sheet of foil. "I didn't think of that."

A few moments later, they each had sturdy looking boats with not so sturdy looking captains ready to race along the stream. Emma hopped up, holding her free hand down to assist Regina. She pulled the brunette up in one motion, bouncing excitedly as she motioned for the older woman to follow her. "Come on, our races await!"

Regina stood with her tinfoil boat in her hand and watch Emma speed away to the stream. For the briefest of seconds, she could see what Emma might have been like as a young child had she grown up with her parents. Blonde curls bouncing as she hurried along, carefree smile on her face and happiness in her eyes, Emma looked every bit the happy princess she should have been all along, and the sight struck Regina deeply.

This was the person Emma should have been, and, because of… everything ...this person was rarely who Emma actually was. Guilt gripped the older woman for a time, but she shook it off, choosing, instead, to make her way to where Emma stood watching her with curious eyes.

Today was not a day for guilt. Today was a day to try to move forward and learn to trust. It would take time, but Regina felt she was ready to make the attempt.

Wouldn't the cricket be excited to hear this bit of new news?

* * *

_**Sunday Afternoon**_  
_**The Forest Surrounding the Town**_

The boats floated happily along the stream, and Regina watched with a pout as hers flipped over, tossing her little captain overboard. They had been playing with their makeshift toys off and on for a few hours, taking breaks to talk, cuddle on the blanket Emma had pulled from the back of her bug, and eat a light lunch the young woman had somehow managed to pack away and take with them without Regina noticing.

Overall, the morning had been wonderful. The only complaint the brunette had was her boat never won a single race. She crossed her arms and scowled down at her little captain, his little hook hand holding desperately onto a root that ran along side stream. "I think you're cheating, Miss Swan." She accented Emma's name, putting a little Mayor Mills teasing into it. Scrunching her face up, she bent down to save her tin foil Captain Hook from certain death, pulling him from the safety of his root and standing to dangling him above the water. "I can't believe you've bested me three times in a row." She shook the little captain to dry him out and huffed at her misfortune. Of course Emma would beat her in a racing game. Emma always beat her at racing games.

The young woman's smile beamed with pride. "At least I can beat you in something. I am awesome at this!" Regina watched her do her third victory dance of the day, and could only shake her head in amusement. She should probably be at least cross with the display, but Emma looked far too happy and too pleased to do anything more than be humored by the clunky, clumsy, nondescript dancing. "You know what I really need, though?" Regina raised an eyebrow and waited, curious to see where this was going. Anything that had Emma stop in the middle of her victory celebrations was probably going to be either very important or even more ridiculous than the dance itself. Either way, the brunette was content to let the younger woman pretend to think on it for a long pause.

Suddenly, Emma pulled out of her faux deep thought and rushed the older woman, proclaiming happily, "A victory kiss!"

Regina saw it coming. She allowed the other woman to attack her, pulling her in and kissing her soundly. She readily returned the kiss, pulling away moments later and giving an honest, deep laugh.

"If you win another, what will your prize be then, princess? Hmm? Something more than a kiss?" There would be no complaints if Emma intended to continue to claim kisses as spoils for her victories. In fact, Regina rather liked that idea, and she smiled gently at the thought that affection freely given from her to another would be freely and happily returned in kind. It had been far too long since something of that nature had happened.

"Hmm…" Emma pulled back enough to look the brunette in the eye. "I'll give you a choice. Since you're so insistent on calling me princess, you can be my knight for the rest of the day, or you can tell me something about you that I don't know." A challenge? Well, Regina did enjoy a good challenge and the impish grin she was being given was enough for her to narrow her eyes and wait for whatever else was about to be throw at her. "You know either way, babe, when I win I'll take you to bed." When? Babe? No, neither of those were acceptable, though she could be very happy with the bed part.

Raising her eyebrows, she asked incredulously, "Is that so?" Pretending to consider her supposed options, she couldn't resist taking another stab at giving Emma a hard time. "Considering you are, in fact, a princess," she smirked at the narrowed eyes that comment received, "I'd say the name suits you. However, I am not a knight." She needed to put that thought to rest were a few titles she felt were beneath her, and knight was one of them. She was royalty, and, as such, she wouldn't accept being called anything less.

Pulling out of Emma's grasp and standing with her best posture, she declared in her most regal of tones, "I am the Queen." With a tilt of her head, she looked the blonde up and down, considering where she was willing to go with this conversation. Part of her personal goals today was to put a bit more trust with Emma, which meant sharing, and, since the topic had come up, now seemed as good a time as any. "I'll tell you something about me you don't know, but only because it pleases me to do so."

The young woman pouted, huffing in irritation. "I am not a princess. I'll accept being a knight because they have the swords," she pointed at Regina, face deadly serious, "but not the princess role. Nope. You can be my Queen anytime though." Emma smirked, giving a small bow from the waist, and Regina had to stop herself from telling the other woman that a knight bowed more deeply, lowered their eyes in submission, and remained in a kneeling position with their gaze down until their queen told them to do otherwise. Meanwhile, a princess bowed slightly at the waist and kept her eyes locked with whomever she was bowing to. It was a sign of royalty, and Emma did it innately.

Of course she would.

Regina cleared her throat and physically shook herself in an attempt to come back from the regal intonation she was applying to her words and the mental etiquette rant she'd just gone on. Being the Queen wasn't an act; it was a part of who she was, and, once she pulled on that particular mask, it could be difficult to remove it.

Forcing herself back to the point of trying to share more with the blonde, she searched her mind for some secret to share, and one popped immediately to mind. Naturally, it was embarrassing, but she would share it… and she would trust Emma. Looking anywhere but at the young woman, she crossed her arms and admitted in a quiet voice, "I enjoy watching marathon runs of Law & Order: SVU when Henry is in school and I have a day off." She could feel the blush rising to color her cheeks, but she ignored it, choosing to focus her attention on a rock on the ground that suddenly looked very interesting. "I… enjoy watching… certain characters."

She could hear the pout in the blonde's voice. "Oh, I see, I get all outfited up in my 'hot' outfit for you, and you barely look at me. I tease you with bubbles and nakedness, and you hardly bat an eye, but you like to watch television characters parade around. You better tell me I'm pretty, quick."

Regina rolled her eyes and scoffed. "What you are is incorrigible." She paused, throwing a mischievous smirk at the young woman. "And a princess. Your parents were king and queen, that, by default, makes you a princess and Henry a prince." She groaned. Henry's family tree was more complicated than a story arch from a soap opera. "Technically, anyway one goes about it, Henry would be a prince." She frowned, realizing what his inheritance might mean to him and for him. It was all very complicated, very contrived, and very frustrating. "I wonder if he's figured that out yet?" Not that it mattered. He would eventually learn about it, even if the thought hadn't crossed his mind yet. She shrugged off the thought. Now was not the time nor the place.

Instead, she decided to round back to the little pouting session her blonde princess was still giving. "When you outfited in your 'hot' outfit, we were on a 'not date', so I feel that doesn't count. When you were covered in bubbles and enticing me to join you, we hadn't so much as kissed, so I feel that's an invalid point."

What wasn't invalid was the fact she did watch certain characters on the show 'parade around', and, just the thought had her blush returning. "Besides, I enjoy watching SVU for the…" The what? It wasn't the plots or the writing. Why did she watch? She watched for reasons that probably didn't register for the mainstream audience watching the show. Her mind flashed across a certain blonde assistant district attorney, and she found she had managed to fluster herself. "Well, I mean, we all have our guilty pleasures, don't we, dear?"

The heat of her blush made her blush even more because she was blushing. She wanted to tell Emma how the characters on the show didn't mean anything. She wanted to reassure the young woman that anyone else paled in comparison. She wanted to explain how fantasy wasn't half as good as her current reality, even though things were still rocky and the road was likely to be long. She wanted to say a great deal, but it was still too much; she looked away again, "And you're beautiful, Emma. Never doubt that."

"You know...I wanted you to join me that day, yet I was also desperate for you to say no. Now…"

Regina looked up in time to see Emma's eyes settle on her with a look filled with emotion and desire. "I feel like I can't breathe sometimes for wanting you."

The admission took Regina's breath away. The sincerity and intensity of Emma's words stunned the brunette into silence, and she listened in astonished silence as Emma continued on. "My guilty pleasure used to be cheesy romance movies. Especially the ones with the fairy tale happy endings, with the dashing prince or the gorgeous knight. And the princesses as well. I'm especially fond of pirate movies," the blonde gave a little shrug, "but I used to imagine being the one to save the girls." She blushed slightly, and her mouth twitched in embarrassment.

It was both cute and endearing. The brunette took in a deep breath and allowed a warm smile. "Always the white knight?"

Emma shook her head a little. "...always the savior, even then." With a grin, she nudged Regina with her shoulder, playfully pointing out, "That makes you my damsel in distress, you know."

The brunette rolled her eyes as if to say, 'hardly.' Turning, she looked around again, taking in the quiet of the woods surrounding them and the calming sound of the little stream beside them. "It's peaceful here, isn't it? How did you find this place?"

"You remember when I took off and didn't show up all night until late the next morning? You yelled at me...for the first time I thought...you might actually be worried about me. That you cared. You said I had Henry worried. This is where I was. I walked here from town." Regina followed the blonde's gaze as she glanced around the woods. "I come here a lot to get away. I wanted you to always be able to…" Emma stopped mid-sentence, and Regina had to hold in her chuckle at what almost came out. Rolling her eyes, the blonde restated, "I wanted you to know where I go." She shrugged. "So now you know."

"I remember, and I was worried. It was unlike you to leave without letting Henry know you'd be back. You're not a runner anymore, Emma. I…" Regina had been extremely concerned. She wouldn't say she'd been terrified that something had happened to the blonde, she had been very upset the younger woman had simply disappeared. "It was concerning."

She didn't really want to go back to that time. They were making progress and thinking on that night and the following morning made Regina feel anxious. Taking in a deep breath, she started to wrap her arms around herself only to stop, letting her arms hang at her sides. "Thank you for sharing this with me."

Emma nodded, tilting her head in consideration. "I like the way you say that. 'You're not a runner anymore.' Like you have so much faith in me to stay. I...I have to make that choice every day. Every hour, some days. To stay." The older woman frowned. She had hoped it was getting easier for Emma.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the blonde's hand grabbing her own and giving a little squeeze of reassurance. "Not with you! That's easy. Just...this life. To...settle down. To put down roots and plan to stay with you forever, it's...daunting." Forever? That was a very long time. No one was asking her to give herself over forever to Regina; she didn't want Emma to feel obligated to stay, to be trapped. The brunette almost protested, but Emma held a hand up to stop her. "I choose to stay this moment. This hour. This day. Over and over again until it keeps."

Regina gave her best reassuring smile. "I'm glad you choose to stay." They stood with their hands linked, staring at the trickling stream, and Regina took time to consider what she had just been told.

That was a profound choice. To choose to stay with Regina, to choose each time the thought surfaced to remain in Storybrooke and try to create a family and a sense of stability until it was no longer a choice but the norm when Emma was a vagabond by nature. To freely want to change her very nature simply to be with Regina held deeper meaning than anything anyone in the older woman's life had ever freely given to her.

It went beyond simply sacrifice or some token show of affection. This was something that ran so deeply that Regina wasn't sure she could ever match it for the momentous admission that it truly was. However, she could at least give a little of herself as Emma had just done of herself. It was a start. "How would like to see where I go?"

Emma's smile lit up her eyes, her excitement clear on her face. "I'd love to see where you go."

Regina nodded, a warm smiling pulling at her lips. "If you want to see where I go, then we need to make a trip to the cemetery in town." She ignored the questioning look given at that statement, and tugged on the blonde's arm, pulling her toward the car. "Come on, I promise I won't punch you in the face this time."

Emma allowed herself to be led to the bug. "Well, I promise not to deserve it." They stopped at the driver's side, and Emma pulled her keys out, quirking an eyebrow in question. "The cemetery, though? I thought we were trying not to be a bad cliche?" The brunette narrowed her eyes at the teasing in the blonde's tone, "Or at least, to rise above the ones already pressed upon us."

Regina had no clue to what the other woman was referring, and she gave a confused look in Emma's direction as she slid into the passenger's side of the car.

Much to her irritation, she recieved a look from the young woman that said she couldn't believe Regina had no idea to what she was referring.

"You know, Knight and Queen, other various lesbian stereotypes that involve moving in on the second date, among others. Princess and Prince. I swear to god I'll start calling you my prince if you don't stop calling me princess, don't tempt me." There was real threat in her voice. Regina smirked. "I don't even care that the reality is something else. I mean...never mind, alright. It was a stupid comment and now I'm rambling to make up for it." Emma threw the car into gear and hit the gas, huffing at the frustration she'd caused herself.

The older woman chuckled. "You would really call me 'prince'?" She tilted her head in thought. She'd been called far worse, and, oddly, far more inaccurate things before. If Emma should decide to start calling her prince, that would cause all sorts of points of annoyance with the Charmings, which was a rather appealing possibility. "Interesting… you know, that would confuse the townspeople in a most delightful way…" She trailed off as visions of irritated and confused townsfolk danced around in her head. What fun it might be to see Eugenia's face brighten with hope that Emma had found her 'prince', only to see her twitch when she figures out that her 'prince' was, in fact, Regina. Won't they all have to eat crow at finding that Emma had truly chosen Regina?

She gave a smug smile, and settled back into the passenger's seat. Being called 'prince' by Emma was something she could definitely happily live with.

"I absolutely would." The younger woman nodded resolutely. "In fact, I may do it now just to be contrary."

Regina snorted. There was something that didn't surprise her in the least. She looked over to retort along those lines when the devilish grin on Emma's face stopped her. "The townspeople would begin to assume new things about you. Are you sure you're prepared for that, my prince?"

Giving a shrug, the brunette sighed. She had worse rumors spread about her, and worst truths if she were honest. "What's one more rumor to add to the pile? Besides, it wouldn't be the first time I've been accused of… packing."

Back when she had been a newly widowed Queen, there was a pair of leather pants she had a preference for because of comfort, but the pants had the odd of effect of making her look like she was a little better endowed down there than most of her knights. At first, she'd considered having her taylor fix the fitting issue, but, after wearing them a few times, she realized the rumors had already started flying about her using magic to make herself into a man.

It would have annoyed her to no end had the added bonus effect not been how much easier it was to bed the women she fancied when she was done playing with the men she fancied. Normally, there was a moment or two of confusion, but she had never had a single woman leave her bed chambers wanting despite the initial confusion and disappointment they all seemed to experience. In fact, she had a few beg to return.

How sad for them, of course. Begging to return was a guaranteed way to never have if happen. She gave a dark chuckle at the memory. She missed those pants.

Emma whipped her head to the side and eyed the older woman with a stoic expression. "I...may need to do a little shopping. Totally unrelated."

Again, Regina gave a genuine laugh. "That, princess, is something we should shop for together. In fact," she gave a sly smile, daring the other woman to say no, "we could make a day of it. It's been a while since I've gone to Marian's Secret…"

Raising her eyebrows in question, and a little surprise, Emma started to say something, only to slowly close her mouth and return her attention back to the road, which only caused Regina to laugh harder.

* * *

**For those of you reading both stories, Twitcher and I are probably going to post at different speeds for a while. However, we'll both still be posting on Fridays.**


	27. September 15th, Town Cemetery

_**Chapter Twenty-Seven**_  
_**September 15th, Sunday Mid-Afternoon**_  
_**The Town Cemetery**_

As the car came to a stop in front of the Mills' mausoleum, Regina took in a deep breath, slowly letting it out. There was a lot she was about to share, and most were things she really never wanted to share, let alone think of again. There was a certain amount of irony in the fact that her 'safe place' was literally surrounded by hundreds of items and countless memories that haunted and hurt her.

It was safety within the pain.

That seemed fitting given who and what she was.

She sighed heavily, stepped from the car, and led the way into the mausoleum. Once inside, she paused by the side of the large, marble sarcophagus bearing the carved resemblance to the one person from the Enchanted Forest she had loved the most. "My father's crypt," she explained quietly as she placed a hand on its side. Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she forced herself to look over to Emma, stating quietly, "Henry, Senior."

She watched the blonde blink a few times and decided she was trying to soak things in. With a nod of her head, she turned back to the marble beneath her hand and motioned for Emma to follow her lead. "Help me push."

Emma made an excited little gurgling sound. "You do not even have a secret lair. Oh my god, you do." Regina turned to give the young woman her best annoyed look, but was patently ignored. "This is both incredibly awesome and so overdone in comics, you know." Rolling her eyes, she started to push, and, with Emma's help, the sarcophagus easily slid to the side to reveal stairs leading down and away from them. From beside her, Regina heard the blonde gasp and then blurt out, "Wait, you named Henry after your father? That's...well, that actually makes sense."

Regina grumbled, mostly to herself, and stopped pushing to turn to face the other woman, who only shrugged in response to the irritation written all over the brunette's body language. Before Regina could tell her to stop, Emma excitedly declared, "This day is already so much better than I thought it was going to be, and I thought it was going to be good." The blonde smiled and looked back down to the stairs with the same face Henry had just before opening Christmas presents.

Regina had to laugh. If she were being honest with herself, the blonde was right. It was a little cliche for the 'villain' to have a secret, hidden lair somewhere foreboding, like beneath the family mausoleum. She winked reaching out to put her hand back on the side of the marble slab. "What decent Evil Queen would be without one? Besides," with a grunt, she gave one final push, which allowed full access to the stairs, "I had to have a place to store items from the Enchanted Forest, and it didn't really match my home's decor."

She started for the steps, carefully descending. "Watch your step. It's steeper than it looks."

The bottom of the stairs was her first obstacle in the long list of things she'd rather she could forget or pretend wasn't there. At some point in time, she would have to take Emma on an extended tour of her underground chambers and explain everything in detail. If Emma was going to choose to be with her her and love all of her, then the younger woman needed to know everything, especially the worst of it.

The large wall filled with many drawers greeted Regina as she came to a stop a the end of the stairs to wait for Emma. She turned and looked over the many small compartments, wondering who belonged to which heart located in each drawer and then frowning at the one drawer she knew for certain to be empty now. Shaking her head, she turned and walked on, not bothering to see if Emma would follow. It didn't matter if she did or didn't; Regina needed to leave that space. She wasn't ready to deal with that wall or what that wall meant about her sordid past.

The next chamber was lined with shelves full of trinkets, oddities, and the like. She finally turned around to face Emma, and waited for a second or two until the other woman's eyes refocused on her. "This," she motioned around her, turning her head to glance around at the walls, "is all from the Enchanted Forest. It's all magic or, at the very least, a touch on the dangerous side."

She turned back in time to see Emma walking toward a small wooden box inlaid with ivory and rare wood which was set upon a bottom shelf. "What's this?" The blonde seemed to register the last of Regina's words, adding, "Oo...is this dangerous? What does it do? Can you teach me how to use it? It's shiny…"

Regina growled, reaching out to snatch the box from the blonde's hands, "Do not open that." Carefully putting it back on the shelf, she explained in a terse tone, "It's filled with extremely poisonous, magical snakes. Leave it alone. I didn't bring you here to play with potentially deadly artifacts from other realms." She certainly didn't bring her here to die exactly as her grandfather had died. Though oddly poetic, the last thing Regina wanted to do was be responsible for another death in that particular family. Standing up and pushing the thought to the side, she turned to face a mirror set on a wall between the shelves. "I brought you here to show you this."

With a wave of her hand, the mirror moved, revealing itself to be a door. She gave a triumphant smile and walked toward the the opening in the wall, stopping just short of entering and motioning with a sweep of her hand for Emma to step inside. "This is where I come to be alone with my thoughts."

Inside the room, Regina took a moment to take a spin around to look over her sanctuary. The white room, decorated with black accent pieces and white furniture, held one of her favorite decorative pieces in any collection she'd ever possessed. In the very center of the room stood an artistic representation of her apple tree in winter. Done in black ebony and carved by hand, the ornate branches and twigs seemed to capture the light from its surroundings. It neither loomed over all, though it was the tallest item in the room, nor did it disappear into the rest of the decor. It was an independent entity within the context of the stark white about it, a lone, sturdy, twisted dark figure amongst the simple and blindingly white surroundings it was entombed in.

She was terribly fond of the tree and had been since Storybrooke came into existence. With a contemplative smile on her face, she made a 360 degree turn, looking at the opulent outfits that dotted the walls.

Emma dutifully stepped inside, following Regina's eyes and taking in their surroundings. With an almost impressed sounding grunt, she commented in wonder, "You have a lair inside a lair." The brunette placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes in a silent threat. This was her sanctuary. Making sarcastic comments about it was a definite no. "You know," the blonde winced at the look pointed her direction. "I'm just going to keep my comments to myself."

Regina nodded her approval of that particular decision, letting her arms drop back down to her sides. She contemplated explaining the significance of what was kept in the room, but she became caught up in the wonder and awe in Emma's eyes as the younger woman looked about her. "It's...beautiful in here, Regina."

"It's quiet here, and these things..." the brunette slowly strolled over to an impressive looking purple outfit with a low cut front and a high collar. She stared at it, the memory of handing Snow White a poisoned apple flashing through her mind's eyes. " ...reminded me of why I had enacted the curse and of who I was at the time." Slowly, she reached forward to run a finger along the intricate stitching of one of the sleeves. Her voice dimmed as her mind raced along the memory of telling Snow what really happened to Daniel and watching as the object of her hatred fell to the ground in a pitiful pile. "It's a safe place."

So far gone was she in the memory that she barely caught Emma's question. "Do you ever miss your former home?" She turned to see the blonde settle onto a nearby couch. Her voice was quiet and a little cautious as she finished with, "...or who you were there?"

Regina turned back to the outfit and stared at it, letting herself really consider the question. What did she miss, if anything? "I miss…" Nothing, really. By the time she cast the curse, there was nothing left. If the curse had failed and killed them all, there was nothing destroyed, including herself, that she would have been sad to lose. In truth, the only good thing to come out of the Enchanted Forest and arrive in Storybrooke via the curse that she was even remotely happy to still have was her ability to remain in fashion regardless of the realm she was in.

With a smirk, she glanced over her shoulder and answered lightly, " ..the wardrobe. Corsets do amazing things for one's cleavage line." She turned again, letting a humorless chuckle escape her throat. Making her way to where Emma was still seated, she tried to force herself to actually answer the question. She would trust Emma. Part of that was not blowing off the young woman's questions. "There are things I do miss. I miss my father," she sank down onto the seat beside the blonde, wiping at her face as she settled, "deeply. I miss having servants. You cannot know how refreshing it is to have someone there for your every need."

With a sigh, she looked around the room to find something to focus on something other than the purple outfit. She was tired of that memory. Her eyes fell to a different outfit. This one was black with silver embroidery and striking leather pants, the collar just as higher as the other. She sighed as the memory of the king's funeral ran through her mind. There was great victory in that day, but there was also great sadness. It had been a substantial turning point in her life, and the emotions of that day still weighed on her. It was the very first time she had ever thought she'd won. The victory was all too short in coming to an end.

Slowly shaking her head from side to side, she blinked away that memory as well. "I don't miss much more than that."

Emma raised an eyebrow at her and turned to looked at the outfits lining the walls. "You could always bring the wardrobe home. I...would be pleased." Regina turned her head to give the blonde a hard look, causing Emma to shift uncomfortably. "I would also be pleased if you left them. Your choice, of course." Clearly, and clearly the younger woman had missed the important point in Regina's humorless little joke. The point was she had no desire for any of it anymore, except for, perhaps, the servants. She did truly miss her personal servants.

Emma gave an awkward shrug. "And I'll never know how it is to have someone there for my every need. But...if I had, you'd really have reason to call me princess."

That was true. Had Emma Swan been Emma White Charming, then she would have had both servants and a true appreciation for her royal heritage. However, she wouldn't be Emma Swan, and Regina rather liked Emma Swan. Though the events leading up to Emma being a Swan as opposed to a Charming were less than favorable, the older woman couldn't help but be slightly thankful Emma was who she was.

That didn't mean, however, that Regina was happy to be who she was, if she even know who that person was anymore. She wasn't really sure. Her eyes glided over outfit after outfit that surrounded them until they fell to another black outfit, this one with complex patterns of solid black strips wrapped through black fabric that was close to translucent in quality. The strips of black cloth attached at the wrists and back of the collar gave the outfit the feel of having a cape, and she easily recalled how those loose strips snapped and twisted in the wind created by the curse as it fell upon her, bringing an end to the Enchanted Forest and a beginning to Storybrooke. The remembered feeling of the curse overtaking her while she laughed, watching Snow White cry over the body of Charming snaked through her mind, taking her away from her present.

It was yet another time she had felt the finality in her victory. It was yet another time she had been wrong to feel she had finally won. In the end, she never won. She only managed to somehow postpone the inevitable pain that would always come back to consume her.

Pulling her eyes down to the ground at her feet, she muttered quietly, voice pinched in a torment unique only to her, "Some things were not worth the pain for what they achieved, so, no, I don't miss who I was there."

Emma's voice was soft as she spoke. "I can think of so many good things that came from the curse, Regina." The brunette couldn't bring herself to look up and face the other woman. The memories were weighing her down. She closed her eyes against them, not bothering to even protest, despite how much she thought Emma was reaching with her comment.

"I think that might be another superpower of mine. Finding the good in the worst situations. But...I don't need to make you a list, I hope. You know of at least one, right?"

One? Yes, she could think of one. It was the one thing she'd finally gotten right after all of this time. In a very quiet voice, she answered with a sigh, "Henry."

The blonde hummed in approval. "See, that's one." Regina shook her head. That was the only one, wasn't it? What else could there be?

She didn't want to think of another. There wasn't another. Henry was it; he had been since the day he came into her life. Everything else in the town of Storybrooke was a lie. It was all contrived to suit her fancy. None of it was real. None of the accomplishments she'd made while 'in office' were true. It was all a lie because none of the people had been real. Every person, every emotion had been an illusion created by magic to suit Regina's preferences. Henry was the only real thing in her life. He was himself, not some contrived character created by the curse. His emotions, his personality, his likes and dislikes were all him, and how he'd grown and who he was as a person was a direct reflection of how she had managed to raise him. She loved him dearly. He was her pride and her joy. He gave her life meaning for the first time in decades, and, for a very long time, he was the only person in her life she truly loved.

But he wasn't the only person in her life she loved now. There was someone else. There was Emma Swan.

Emma Swan, who was only Emma Swan because of the curse Regina had cast. Emma was Emma because Regina had once been the Evil Queen, and, as she had thought a moment before, she rather liked who Emma Swan was. What's more, she appreciated who Emma was. She was tough, independant, understanding, and rational, even as she had childlike qualities that made Regina roll her eyes in amused irritation. Emma was her equal and her opposite. Where Regina lacked in certain qualities, Emma seemed to excel, and the opposite could be said of Emma. They greatly complimented each other, and, with each passing day, Regina was coming to terms with exactly how fitting they truly were for each other.

It was still going to take her a bit of time, but she was ready to at least accept Emma was another good thing to come from the curse. That much, she could acknowledge.

Finally turning her head to look at the blonde, she slowly moved her hand out to take Emma's, pulling into her lap and holding it there while she trained her eyes on it. "You…" she whispered quietly as she entwined their fingers. Turning back again, she found the younger woman's eyes and gave a slight, water-eyed smile, " ...us."

Regina slowly turned to face the blonde, wiping at her eyes with her free hand, allowing herself to show the emotions she felt. "I would never have fou…" No, she refused to say it. Wincing at the very thought she might say those words, she cleared her throat. It absolutely disgusted her she would even come close to saying that… even if it was true. "You know." She rolled her eyes at herself. She knew she was being ridiculous, but there were some lines she simply refused to cross. Saying the Charmings' catch phrase was one of them.

Emma's goofy, lopsided grin told Regina the other women knew exactly what she meant. She grunted as the blonde leaned forward to kiss her temple. "So...two. And bonus, you almost said the hated words! Let's try for three, my prince."

She was done with this game. In a flat voice, she replied, "Don't press your luck."

Tired, both emotionally and physically, Regina was ready to call it a day, but the last thing she wanted to do was destroy whatever remaining plans Emma might have had. She had to admit she was enjoying her day, and she would go along with whatever else was in store, even if it was playing with Legos, which it very well might be given who her companion for the day was. With a shake of her head and a smile playing on her lips, she asked lightly, "Well, princess, now you've seen my quiet place and I yours, what's next?"

"Now? Now...you take me home, and we have a fantastic dinner together. And then, for once, we leave the kitchen a mess, and I take you to our bedroom where the magic happens." Emma stood, giving a definitive nod of her head as she offered her hand to help Regina up. "What do you think of that?"

The older woman happily took the offered hand, gracefully standing. "I think that sounds wonderful, minus the mess, and," she realized they were shirking their duties. They did, after all, have a son. Quirking an eyebrow, she asked with suspicion, "what about Henry?"

Emma gave a little, embarrassed cough and turned her eyes to look anywhere but at the brunette. "Um...he's sort of...staying overnight with my parents." She blushed, wincing a little at her admission.

Oh yes, Emma had stashed Henry's overnight bag in the car that morning. That had completely slipped Regina's mind. With a shrug, she ran an arm through Emma's and started moving them toward the door leading out of her secret hiding place. "Well then, I suggest we make the most of our night." She smirked, waving a hand to force the hidden door to swing open. "It's not everyday the grandparents babysit, now is it?"

She chuckled when she felt Emma relax beside her as they walked along toward the now open door. "Yes, absolutely!" The blonde's excitement was infectious. Regina found herself grinning like a fool, but she couldn't help herself. "Can we…" The younger woman's voice trailed off, and she forced the pair to come to a stop in front of an outfit Regina wore as a young, widowed Queen. In fact, it was the very outfit she'd worn the day the Magic Mirror had informed her Snow White was awake again thanks to Charmings' kiss. She hated the memory, but she loved that outfit. The intricate beadwork of the bodice was a favorite of hers. "...bring this outfit here?"

Regina chuckled, shaking her head in amusement before waving a hand in front of the outfit in question. The black and red garments disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke, and Regina gave a mischievous smile and conspiratorial wink as she pulled Emma back toward the stairs.


	28. September 16th, Master Bedroom

_**Chapter Twenty-Eight**_  
_**September 16th, Monday Early Morning**_  
_**Mayor's House, Second Floor Master Bedroo**_m

"Regina." The voice was soft but rushed, and Regina wanted to ignore it. She was happily immersed in a dream where she was stretched out upon something soft, warm, and welcoming. She had no desire to be pulled from her happy place, but the voice seemed a little panicked, and her instincts from countless nights of a young Henry rushing to her bed in a tizzy because of monsters or sickness had the brunette coming out of her deep sleep despite herself. One more hurriedly whispered plea of, "Regina, wake up," finally had her opening one sleep bleary eye.

She found herself lying atop Emma, pinning the other woman down, which, her mind managed to process, would explain her dream. Her ear was above the blonde's now frantically beating heart, and her arms and legs were snaked around and through Emma's limbs.

With a few little grumbled moans and groans, she raised her head enough to look Emma in the eye as she proclaimed in a voice thoroughly slurred by sleep, "Too early to live. Back to sleep." She shifted enough to allow blood to flow back into Emma's arm and let her head fall back down atop the blonde's chest.

"Regina." Her name was a harsh whisper against the side of her head where Emma's lips brushed her hair, and she could have ignored the plea had the other woman not started to struggle. "Wake up, please."

The quickening of Emma's breath, along with her increased struggles, finally forced Regina awake enough to realize something was very wrong. Confused and floundering to find a way to sit up, she asked in a heavily groggy voice, "Emma? What is it?" After a few grunts and some fighting with the covers, she finally managed to sit up in bed beside the other woman, turning to ask, "What's wrong?"

She watched with a heightened sense of concern, her own panic rising, as the blonde quickly scrambled from the bed and stood, taking deep breaths as if she were coming up for air after being pushed under water for a long period of time. "I'm...I couldn't move. I…"

Regina could see the signs of distress etched all over Emma's body. From her wide, terror filled eyes to her trembling hands, the younger woman was the very picture of someone who was having a moment of claustrophobia. She saw the fear, and she felt the panic radiating from where Emma stood, trying to catch her breath, and Regina quickly came to the conclusion that something had happened to the other woman at some point in her life which had made her afraid to be pinned down.

She could only imagine what that might have been, but any possibility for the reason her mind flashed to made her deeply displeased. She wanted to know who had hurt Emma, and she wanted to hurt them in return ...badly. However, that wasn't what the younger woman needed right now. She didn't need to see Regina angry. The anger would just fuel her fear, and that was the last thing the brunette wanted.

She knew. She understood. Regina also had reasons for not liking to be pinned down without any way to escape. She would never intentionally put Emma in a position to ever feel that way.

In a low, soothing voice, she offered her reassurances. "It's okay." She didn't move from her spot on the bed or reach out to try to touch Emma. She knew better. Instead, she offered her words, being as careful and as gentle as she had ever been. "Everything is fine. You don't need to apologize." Emma never needed to apologize. "What can I do?"

"I don't know." Emma slowly shook her head, blinking rapidly. " I...need to sit." Regina moved to push the covers aside so the edge of the bed would be clear, but the blonde seemed to completely miss the action, sinking down to to the floor and placing her head in her hands.

Regina felt completely helpless. Emma was in pain, she was afraid, and she looked so very small where she sat crumpled in the floor. The brunette wanted to do something, anything, to make it better, but she had no idea what to do, and her inability to do anything at all made her angry. She was angry at herself for not being strong enough or powerful enough to fix what was hurting Emma, and she was angry at herself for casting the curse that was the impetus for why Emma was hurting right now, and she was angry with whomever had hurt Emma so much that they had left behind this huge, ugly emotional scar.

Mostly, she was angry she didn't know who that person was so she could track them down, bring them to Storybrooke, and rip their heart out.

Taking in a deep breath, she let it out slowly to help her focus so her words remained soft despite the anger rising up inside of her. "Okay." She shifted to the edge of the bed but didn't make another move, uncertain of what would cause Emma even more panic or fear. "Do you… want to talk about it?" Regina honestly wasn't sure if she could handle whatever story explained away this reaction in the other woman, but she would try. For Emma, she would try to listen and be there, even if discussing such a thing made her highly uncomfortable.

She was thankful when Emma shook her head in the negative. "Can you just…" Even in the dark room, she could see the shimmer of tears in the blonde's normally bright, green eyes. She chewed at her bottom lip, torn between wanting to protect Emma and wanting to run away from the pain she saw etched in the other woman's upturned face. " ...come here, please?" Regina noded, giving a soft, reassuring smile. She wasn't a runner. She would stay, and she would face the pain she'd caused.

The younger woman seemed to calm, asking in a less shaky voice, "Hold my hand?"

Carefully scooting from the bed, Regina pulled the top blanket with her. She sat beside Emma, leaning against the bed and offering to share the blanket with her free arm as she reached with her other to take the young woman's hand.

Much to her relief, Emma leaned against her side, allowing the brunette to wrap her free arm about her shoulders while pulling them snugly beneath the blanket. The grip Emma had on Regina's hand bordered on painful, but the older woman ignored it. Whatever Emma needed to feel safe again, she was willing to provide or endure.

"I'm not apologizing...I just...I don't know what came over me. I am not afraid of you." The thought Emma might be afraid of her had never actually crossed her mind, and the fact the blonde had just said it made her start a little in surprise. Was Emma afraid of her? That was one thing she couldn't bear. If Emma was afraid of her, they couldn't do this. She knew what it meant to be in a relationship where you shared a bed with someone you feared. She couldn't do that to Emma. She'd call everything off in a heartbeat if that were the case, even if pushing Emma away would destroy what little self Regina had left. She'd rather be shattered than shatter.

The blonde shivered, throwing Regina out of her thoughts. Emma let out a heavy sigh, offering as an afterthought, "I can't remember what I was dreaming about, either."

"It's okay." Regina pulled Emma closer, letting the other woman wrap about her as much as she needed, which was suddenly quite a bit. "I understand having bad dreams."

For a time, they sat quietly. Emma held tightly to Regina, and Regina rubbing soothing patterns along Emma's back while she mentally ranted about how unfair and unjust it was that she couldn't scare away the blonde's demons. She was one of the most powerful practitioners of magic that had ever lived. Kings and queens, great knights, and giants all trembled at the mere mention of her name. She had conquered lands with a single flick of her wrist, destroyed powerful men and women with nothing more than a few well placed suggestions, and brought an entire realm to destruction, but she could do nothing to, not a single thing, to help Emma.

It was maddeningly infuriating. The boogiemen in Emma's life, unlike those of their son's, were something Regina had no power to destroy or scare away. For hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people in her world, this world, and other realms, she was the big, bad boogieman. After all, she was the Evil Queen. How ironic, really, that the one whose very existence created the notion of being frightened of things that go bump in the night could do nothing to take down the things that scared the person she loved.

Allowing an emotionally exhausted and slightly frustrated sigh to escape her lips, she began to talk. In truth, she was more-or-less speaking aloud her thoughts, but the quiet in the room had grown to be too much for her. In a soft voice, she offered, "When Henry had bad dreams," which wasn't often, but happened, "he would demand that he stay with me so we could protect 'Sir Dragon.' He absolutely insisted that he wasn't scared, naturally. However, we both had to stay in the big bed, what he once called my bed, with Sir Dragon so we could properly protect him from anything too scary."

She smiled at the memory of a very young Henry, holding his dragon tightly around the neck and demanding they protect him by snuggling under the covers of her bed. "I used to tell him there was nothing to be afraid of because the scariest thing in the room would be me if anyone or anything ever tried to hurt him." That was no lie. She was normally the scariest thing in the room, and the last thing anyone or anything would ever want to do was try to hurt her child. She chuckled as she recalled the big-eyed wonder that would come over Henry's face. Back then, he believed in her, and he believed she could do anything. "That always seemed to calm him down, and he'd eventually go to sleep." Turning her head, she placed a chaste kiss on Emma's forehead as she used to do for Henry, taking comfort in the gesture and the meaning behind it. She may not be able to slay the monsters haunting Emma, but she could be there to help chase away the fear.

Emma leaned even further into the older woman's side, even as she protested. "That...sort of goes against my nature as the 'protector' in this family, don't you think? If I let you be the one to save me from the monsters like you do for Henry…" The brunette rolled her eyes, giving a little disapproving huff. Before she could verbally protest, the blonde added, "But maybe...we don't have to fit into that story. You can be my savior too. The scariest thing against the dark in my head."

Regina winced as Emma turned to bury her face against the older woman's chest. She wasn't wincing at the contact, but at the reason behind Emma's words. There would never be a time when Regina didn't feel a little guilty for what her actions had forced Emma to go through. The dark in the younger woman's head was something for which the brunette took full responsibility. She might never tell Emma that, but it was how she felt, and it was something she doubted she'd ever stop feeling now that she'd begun to have such strong, protective feelings regarding the other woman.

Emma's now muffled voice again pulled her from her thoughts. "Don't tell anyone, though, okay? Gotta keep up my knightly image."

With a dark chuckle, Regina replied in her best, most threatening royal tone, "Oh, princess, I am the scariest thing around. You'd be foolish to cross the Evil Queen, but never fear," she wrapped both arms protectively about the other woman, allowing her voice to soften back to the assuring tones she'd been using since they'd both sat in the floor, "your secret is safe with me." Placing a gentle kiss on the crown of blonde hair, she added quietly, "As are you."

Emma lifted her head up, eyes shining with relief instead of the earlier tears. "I think anyone would just be foolish to cross my prince." Regina chuckled, loosening her hold to allow Emma to snuggle back closer to her. "You don't have to add the evil bit anymore."

"Hmmm," the older woman wasn't sure she agreed with that, but she was positive she didn't want to talk about it at present. Resting her head atop Emma's, she verbally brushed off any thought of talk about it for the time being. "I think that talk is for another day." Cautious of setting the blonde off again and not wanting her to think there was any anger there, Regina gave a little reassuring squeeze as she asked, "Would you like to try going back to the bed, or do you want to stay here a bit longer?"

She was actually a little disappointed when Emma gave a soft sigh, pulling away to stand up. The floor was starting to feel comfortable. "I won't sleep," the blonde admitted with a defeated sounding sigh, "but we don't have to sit here on the floor. Let's get back into bed."

Regina wanted Emma to rest, but she also understood not wanting to go back to sleep and risk being sucked back into whatever dream had caused you to awaken to start with. With a nod, she stood, climbing back into bed. She waited for Emma to join her before she rolled onto her side to pull the young woman flush with her, wrapping protective arms around the younger woman.

Neither of them were going to sleep. If Emma was going to remain awake, then so too would Regina, and, if anything came around to scare the blonde, then Regina would be there to scare it away.

* * *

_**Monday Late Morning**_  
_**Mayor's House, Second Floor Master Bedroom**_

They did manage some sleep, but the morning was a wash. As soon as Regina would think Emma had fallen asleep and she could allow herself to do the same, Emma would whine or shudder, and Regina would pull her tight and continue her vigil.

When the sun rose, they silently agreed to get up and start their day. After feeding Emma and Henry and making certain the sheriff had enough caffeine in her system to be alert to drive Henry to school, Regina had given into her need for sleep and gone back to bed.

As she started to drift, her mind played the to-do list game it normally did, making mental checks on things that needed to be taken care of soon, and things she needed to pick up from the store the next time she stepped out.

It was in the haze between sleep and wakefulness that a thought hit her so hard it made her sit upright in bed. The town's yearly tax audit was fast approaching.

With recent events and with her pulled unceremoniously out of office, the little details of running the city had completely slipped her mind. Ordinarily, she'd leave running things to the were so hellbent on taking over, she had reasoned, she would be more than happy to let them flounder and try to figure out penal codes, tax regulations, and the like.

However, anything which involved the state or federal government was something no one could afford to make mistakes with. If anything were the tiniest bit incorrect, it would mean an investigation by the state or federal bureau, and that would be the worst possible thing to happen to Storybrooke since the curse broke.

The only person in Storybrooke who could do what needed done correctly was Regina. She had to gain control back of at least the paperwork for the town. This wasn't a matter of wanting to get her title back or take over again or letting the Charmings fall on their faces. This was a matter of protecting Henry and Emma's interests, and, by extension, that of the town's. If Regina were being honest with herself, she still considered Storybrooke her town, and, as such, she felt compelled to protect it from the unwelcome intrusions of outsiders.

She needed the Charmings to listen to reason, for the sake of everyone in town, and she needed them to come to their senses quickly. If the crumbling infrastructure of the city were any indication of how things were being run, the books were likely a mess. It would probably take weeks to get everything back into shape.

She needed a plan of action and a champion on her side whom the Charmings would listen to. The only problem was she didn't have either.

She gave a heavy, frustrated sigh and glanced over to the empty side of the bed. She wanted Emma to be there to help her work through possible scenarios. The blonde was much better at finding ways to deal with Mary Margaret and David than Regina ever had been.

She rolled her eyes at herself for missing the obvious. She had a champion. She just needed to convince Emma to go along with things.

Throwing off the covers and crawling out of bed, Regina began to formulate a plan. Step one was to put on the little gray dress that Emma so loved to see her in, the one she'd been wearing the first time they'd met. Step two was to stop by the doughnut shop.

Regina checked the clock. She'd apparently been dozing and thinking for a few hours. If she hurried, she'd have just enough time to dress and make it to the doughnut shop before they closed at noon. After that, a trip to the sheriff's station was in order.

* * *

_**Monday Afternoon**_  
_**Sheriff's Station**_

Regina stepped into the Sheriff's station and carefully pulled off her black trench coat, laying it casually over the crook of her bent arm. She held a bag with two bearclaw doughnuts and a cup of coffee in one hand, and, with her free hand, she fluffed her hair and brushed out any potential wrinkles in her dress.

Nodding in approval at herself, she started toward the inner portion of the station, and smirked when she finally stepped inside the office to find Emma dozing at her desk. With a hint of humor in her formal, reprimanding tone, so spoke just loudly enough to wake the sheriff, "Miss Swan, the city does not pay you to sleep on the job."

She had to hold in her chuckle when Emma jerked up groggily from her leaning position in her chair. Naturally, the blonde attempted to defend herself, but the confusion in her voice gave her away even if the drool at the corner of her mouth did not. "Wha...I'm up."

Regina gave a playful smile as she came to a stop beside the blonde's desk, setting the coffee cup and bag on the desktop. She commented dryly while Emma wiped at the corners of her mouth and rubbed at her sleepy eyes, "It's a very good thing, indeed, that I am no longer the one signing off on your payroll." With a concerned look in her eyes, the brunette leaned over, kissing Emma's forehead before standing upright again and leaning against the desk. "How do you feel, princess?"

She watched the sheriff try to process what was going on, and rolled her eyes when the blonde's gaze finally fell upon the food and drink on her desk. "You brought me coffee! You certainly know how to woo a lady." Of course that would be the first thing the younger woman would focus on, the coffee.

Shaking her head in amusement, Regina handed over the cup of coffee, leaning in to receive the offered kiss of thanks. She waited while Emma took a few sips, wondering how long it would take for the sheriff to wake up enough for them to have the conversation she had planned.

Emma smiled at her from behind the cup. "I feel...better now. I'd feel even better if this bag contained a doughnut." The blonde raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Did my prince bring me a doughnut? Or must I suffer without sugary goodness?"

Regina smirked. She suspected that question would be asked. Luckily for her, she knew the sheriff all too well. With a smirk, she pulled a doughnut from the bag and replied in a light, sing-song voice, "Someday your bearclaw will come." Eyes full of mischief, she held the bearclaw up between them and laughed when Emma's eyes lit up as she rushed to grab the sugary treat, only to stop at the very last second.

"A Snow White reference? From the 'Evil Queen'? Are you feeling okay?" The brunette inwardly sighed. She really did need to give Emma more credit. However, she kept her mask of playful mischievousness on, tilting her head to the side and trying to add a bit of confusion into her expression.

The blonde narrowed her eyes in reply, faux suspicion coloring her intonation. "You brought me junk food, quoted someone you hate, and…" Now that it was all laid out, Regina had to admit it was rather glaringly obvious that, " ...you must want something." Yes, that. "Or you're sick and delirious."

Emma raised an eyebrow and snatched the bearclaw out of Regina's hand. With a huff, the brunette plucked a tissue from the box on the desk and wiped at her fingers while the sheriff took an indulgent bite of the pastry. "It's so good," she mumbled around a mouthful of bearclaw.

For her part, Regina wanted to be defensive, but the most she could manage was an eyeroll and tinge of irritation to her voice. It was difficult to be defensive when what she was accused of doing was exactly what she was doing. Still, she wasn't one to give up the game so easily. "Occasionally, I do things because I want to, not because I have some ulterior motive." From behind her bearclaw, the sheriff leveled at gaze at the older woman that said she didn't believe that for a moment.

Regina was going to protest more, but she simply didn't have the heart. With a shrug and a look that said, 'oh well', she decided to come clean. At the very least, it would save a little time. "Fine. I wasn't exactly sure how to ask you this, but I suspect that you need to…" She winced at the grumble that came from the blonde. That was clearly a poor choice of words. Emma wasn't someone she could boss around ...anymore. She tried again. "Your parents are…" Well, that was an open ended way to start things. In fact, it was too much so. Regina was tempted to end that sentence with, 'the two biggest idiots I have ever had the displeasure of encountering in my decades of life,' which she suspected wouldn't get her what she needed. She sighed at herself and tried yet again. What she needed to be was straight to the point and honest. It wasn't her preferred method of doing things, but it was how she wanted to be behave with Emma.

Scrunching her nose up a bit in distaste, she explained as simply as she could, "I know your parents are running the town, but the state is going to want our town reports and tax revenue soon, and, frankly, I doubt they have any idea what to do."

Regina's face pulled down into a scowl. It was completely ridiculous this was even an issue. She should have never been pulled from office. "During the curse, I was the only person who ever left the town, or could leave the town, and I did so on a number of occasions as my responsibility as mayor demanded. One of those times was to go to Augusta to file the proper paperwork. If we don't do so soon, the state is going to audit us."

She met Emma's gaze, punctuating her next comment with a piercing gaze. "No one wants that."

Letting her eyes fall away from the sheriff, she glanced down at her hands, hating herself for sounding so needy. "Emma, I know this is asking a great deal, but I… whether anyone likes it or not, this is my town, and I feel obligations to maintain it." She looked back up, holding her head high as she took ownership of her words. If she was going to say this, then she was going to fully mean it, not be unsure about it. "I need to be mayor for at least a week to get the paperwork in order and filed so the state doesn't come knocking on our doorstep." Despite herself, she winced again. Making this request was far harder than she originally thought it would be. "You must speak with your parents, and make them listen to reason."

Request made, Regina braced herself, expecting Emma to lash out at her and explain all the many reasons why putting the brunette back in office wasn't going to happen and why it was a ridiculous idea to even suggest. She watched with impatient anxiousness while Emma slowly and deliberately chewed her doughnut, taking a very long time to finish it.

With baited breath, the brunette waited, jaw clenching and unclenching as the sheriff took her sweet time cleaning off her hand and taking a sip of coffee. Finally, Emma looked up at Regina and said in nonchalant tone, "Okay."

The older woman blinked a few times, trying to understand what was happening. "You… I… okay?" Where was the fight? Where was the back-and-forth? The declarations of why she shouldn't be mayor? The yelling? The screaming? The classic cat fights they tended to get into when discussing these sorts of things?

Regina was positively stunned by the one word reply. Of all the things she had been prepared for, simple agreeance was not one of them.

Emma nodded, taking another sip of her coffee. "Okay. I know it may come as a shock to you but I've been thinking about it since we had our town meeting last week." Yes, shock was one word for it. Utter and complete bewilderment would be another. "Clearly, you know more about actually running a town than my parents do. Not that they can't learn. But...I think you need something to do as well, Regina. As much as I love the idea of you as the stay-at-home mother of our son…" The blonde trailed off for a moment, eyes glazing over with thoughts that clearly had the brunette in the role of a naughty June Cleaver. Shaking her head, the sheriff pulled back to the point at hand, "Ahem. I just think it would be good for everyone involved. You don't have to bribe me to do things for you. I want to do whatever you ask."

This was a new concept to wrap her mind around. Regina couldn't recall a time when someone did something for her because they wanted to, instead of doing something for her as means to an end. She frowned, trying to defend herself. "I'm not bribing you. I'm," bribing the sheriff, but there had to be a better way of saying it. She gave an overly nonchalant shrug, "providing you with something I know you'll like and," Emma opened her mouth to protest, and the older woman held a hand up to stop her, shaking her head in the negative. Who was she trying fool here? Apparently, herself. " ...I'm bribing you. I'm sorry, princess, old habits are very difficult the break."

Emma shrugged. "Just because I don't want you to bribe me doesn't mean I don't want you to bring me donuts, by the way. Just so you know."

Regina narrowed her eyes in thought. "Well, I'd like to make an offer of a reward anyway." Who says it couldn't hurt to give a bit of an incentive? "If you can get your parents to agree before Wednesday, I'll wear that blue and white polka dotted outfit, apron, pearls, and high heels you were just picturing me in." She gave her best flirtatious smile, raising her eyebrows and faking a bit of innocence as she asked, "Or, would you rather I not make that offer?"

The sheriff blinked a few times, unabashedly looking the older woman up and down. "You...hmph. That's just…" She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and Regina knew she had won. She smirked, happy in her victory. Emma cleared her throat, nodding in confirmation. "You got it, babe. Wednesday."

"Yes." Regina pushed from the desk to slide her trenchcoat back on. "That gives you today and tomorrow to get it all worked out. I'm sure you'll convince them." Bending over, she placed her mouth close to the blonde's ear, whispering with a purr, "I'll arrange for Granny and Ruby to watch Henry overnight Wednesday." She leaned further in, kissing the younger woman on the neck, just below her ear. "I'll see you tonight, dear."

Standing, she turned on her heels and sauntered out of the station, leaving the pastry bag on the desk and a very uncomfortably aroused sheriff at the desk. She was just to the outside door when she heard a shout of excitement echo down the hall from the sheriff's office. She smiled. Emma must have found the second bearclaw.


	29. September 16th, Basement

_**Chapter Twenty-Nine**_  
_**September 16th, Monday Evening**_  
_**Mayor's House, Basement After Dinner**_

"I've been considering our options should you manage to get those two idiots to see reason," Regina commented absentmindedly as she pulled her darts from the board, marked down her score on the nearby chalkboard, and returned to her spot beside Emma. "Assuming I can get the paperwork all in order soon enough, we might be able to make a week's worth of trip out it, take Henry, and drive down the coast to Boston. I've never been there for a vacation. Maybe you could show us around?"

She watched Emma line her shot up, throw the dart, and barely miss the wall for the board. "Is it just because you've never been there on vacation that you want to go to Boston, of all places, or because it's a place I could show you around?"

With a frustrated grunt, the blonde retrieved her darts, marked her score, and returned to her spot. Regina smirked. She was winning, and she did so love to win. Raising her arm to take aim, she gave a little shrug to the question.

Emma huffed, crossing her arms. "Because...my life wasn't the greatest there. I'd recommend you look at places you...wanted to see. Tourist-like things. Or we could go somewhere else."

The brunette glanced to the side, giving the sheriff a hard look. The comment struck her as strange. They'd just been to Boston not that long ago, and Boston seemed a logical choice for a quick family holiday. "Boston is a tourist location, it's the closest major tourist location to Augusta, and I've wanted to go there to vacation since I started watching…"_ Rizzoli & Isles_, but there was no way she'd admit to that. "a…" couple of very attractive women, "show."

He mind ran across the last episode she'd seen, which happened to be one where the writers had found an excuse for both of the title characters to literally strip down to nothing. She threw her dart and completely missed the board. She winced at the sound the dart made as it buried itself deeply into the wood of her wall. Blushing as she made her way over to retrieve her darts, she kept her eyes ahead of her, trying to act as though she hadn't suddenly distracted herself. "You being able to show us around is an added bonus." The dart embedded in the wall seemed to be stuck. So much for acting as though nothing had happened. She grabbed hold of it with both hands and yanked, pulling it out of the wall with an audible thunk.

"Is this a show like _Law & Order_ is a 'show?" Emma eyed the brunette suspiciously. "Are you cheating on me with characters again? Do I have to make you tell me I'm pretty all over again?" Regina rolled her eyes in response, not willing to dignify the question with an answer. Instead, she marked her score on the chalkboard and walked back to her spot. "I'll show you around Boston, but it won't be my Boston, not with Henry with us. I just...want you to know that. I'm not proud of my former life, and I don't want to expose the kid to that."

Where was this coming from? Regina narrowed her eyes and tried to follow the line of thought happening within the other woman's head. All she'd suggested was they go see the tourist traps of Boston. Why was any of this coming up? "I do want to go with you as a...family vacation? We can do all of the traditional things that people who go to Boston do, only we won't get lost on the ridiculously designed streets."

Regina sighed, placed the darts on the table by the wall for the purpose and crossed her arms over her chest. Wherever Emma was coming from, it was not anywhere near where the brunette was coming, and the line of the conversation the younger woman was taking completely perplexed Regina. "I had no intention of you taking us around the seedy side of Boston," she said in a confused, somewhat irritated tone. "Of course I meant that we could go see the tourists sights." She was annoyed that she even had to clarify. What was going on with this situation? She made an annoyed face, slightly perplexed face. "What a strange thing for you to jump to conclusions on. Why ever would I want to see where people go when they jump bail? And why would I want to take Henry if I did?" Was this something Emma wanted to do? Had she actually thought for even the briefest of milliseconds that she might take their son to some questionable neighborhood somewhere? "Really, Miss Swan." She rolled her eyes and picked up a dart, throwing it at the target and hitting the bullseye dead center.

She was taken aback when Emma responded with a tearse, "Fine, your Majesty," turned and walked out of the basement, slamming the door behind her.

The entire scenario was completely and utterly ridiculous to Regina. She hadn't suggested anything outlandish, nor had she really done anything wrong. Of course, the snark there at the end was probably uncalled for baiting, but that was how their relationship went. Each gave as good as they took, which is why Emma storming out of the basement after calling Regina 'your Majesty' struck the brunette less as hurtful and more as simply odd.

After tossing the other darts at the board to give a few seconds' time for Emma to calm to a simmer, Regina turned and dutifully headed up the stairs to go find the blonde before she did something they would both regret later.

Clearly, something was wrong, and Regina supposed she'd have to figure it out for the both of them.

* * *

_**Monday Evening**_  
_**Mayor's House, Driveway**_

"Emma?" Regina called out quietly. Henry was asleep upstairs, and it wouldn't do to wake him up. Though he was happy for the family togetherness starting to happen with his two moms, he was still fairly suspicious of his older mother, and the last thing Regina wanted to do was give him a reason to think she had gone back to her old ways.

She rolled her eyes for the third time in less than five minutes, grumbling to herself as she made her way through the house and toward the kitchen. "Shortest honeymoon period in history." She paused for a moment in the entryway to the kitchen and considered her last honeymoon, which had been far less of a honeymoon and more of a sentencing arrangement. She shrugged, starting her search again, "Oh well," she muttered to herself absently, "Still better than my previous honeymoon." The night in question flashed through her mind's eyes and made a disgusted face, shuddering a little at the memory.

She stopped at the kitchen's island and tried to think about where the blonde might be. "Well, if I were an angry Emma Swan, where would I go?" She held her breath for a moment to listen to the house. It was clear Emma wasn't upstairs. She hadn't heard any footsteps up there. She wasn't anywhere on the first floor that Regina could find her, but, as the brunette thought on it, she realized that she wouldn't find Emma anywhere in the house. Emma Swan was a runner, not a hider.

Regina raised an eyebrow as the lightbulb went on in her mind, turned, and calmly walked outside to the driveway at the back of the house. She was little surprised to see Emma sitting behind the wheel of her bug.

The little yellow deathtrap was already running and quickly backing out of the drive, which Regina simply couldn't allow. She didn't have the time to run out to block the way, so she took a more direct approach, waving her hand in the air and magically stalling the bug, thus keeping it from going any further out of the driveway.

Calmly, she walked over to the Beetle, stating in a clear, crisp, matter-of-fact tone, "If you insist on leaving in that deathtrap," she stopped at the passenger's side, tried the door and found it locked. With a snort, she waved her hand and magically unlocked the door, sliding into the passenger's seat and closing the door with a definitive thud. "You should at least go with provisions. If it breaks down again, who knows how long you'll be stranded this time, and the last time you had to walk back home." Whatever was going on with the blonde, it was something Regina found she didn't have the patience for. She was tired. They both were. They needed sleep, not to have this battle of wills right now, and the battle didn't even make sense. What were they fighting over? Going to Boston of all places? She turned to give an almost but not quite haughty look to Emma.

Again, her voice was calm and flat, "I'm willing to bet that wherever you think you might go this time would be a much longer walk or longer wait for someone to pick you up."

She received a hard glare in return. "What makes you think I'd come back?" The younger woman crossed her arms, scowling even harder at her unwanted passenger. "I can't imagine what would make you jump to that ridiculous conclusion."

Regina's eyebrows went up in a moment of clarity. She should have realized that comment would cut much deeper than she intended. Even so, she was in no mood to pet Emma's fragile ego. As far as she was concerned, the other woman was playing a game of chicken, and she had obviously forgotten who she was playing this game with.

The brunette merely sat and waited, face emotionless and posture as perfect as one could get while sitting in a Beetle.

Emma sighed and turned her head to look out the driver's side window. She sounded petulant. "You can keep me here," she declared, a pout in her voice, "but you don't have to sit here with me. Just...go."

Narrowing her eyes, Regina had to reign in her annoyance. Did she really have two pre-pubescent teenagers in the house? She'd thought she was only joking when she'd made the declaration a few days prior, but perhaps she wasn't wrong about it afterall. "I'm afraid I can't do that. Henry would be extremely disappointed if he awoke to find you suddenly living in this thing… again, and that is was my fault you were living in it… again."

She tilted her head to the side in consideration, though she did nothing to force the other woman to look at her. "There are many times when I say things to be mean or cruel. However, just a moment ago was not one of them. What I was, Emma, was taken aback at the very idea that you'd even think about taking me and Henry to someplace seedy." How had the blonde jumped from point A to point Z? It still puzzled her.

"It's not the same thing as not wanting to know about your past. That's not in question. I want to know everything you're willing to share with me about you and your past, but I trust in your judgement to keep us, your family, safe while you do it." Though, given this odd reaction to a simple suggestion, Regina was starting to wonder if her trust was misplaced.

"So I would like to know why it is that we're sitting in this deathtrap of a car while you pout about something that I had absolutely no intention of hurting your feelings by saying," she finished in a perfectly even, reasonable voice.

Emma shook her head, refusing to look at the brunette. "I don't want to do this. You weren't listening to what I was saying before. I can make it clear...but I…" She trailed off, taking in a deep breath and letting it slowly out as if she were counting to ten in her head. "And I would never put you or Henry in danger or think about taking you someplace seedy. I wouldn't even take just you. I...can't even consider it."

Well then, why were they having this discussion? Regina was still at a loss. "I heard you, Emma. I just…" Had no clue what the hell was going on. One moment they were having a friendly game of darts, and the next moment they're here. She gave a frustrated growl and allowed herself to fall back against the passenger's seat, eyes staring ahead and away from the younger woman. "I have no idea what I've done, and, frankly, I'm not the type of person to gently talk it out until everything has come to some kind of agreeable conclusion." In truth, that was an understatement. Regina Mills was a woman who took what she wanted and didn't give a damn about who was hurt, how much, nor why. Emma was one of two people in the older woman's life who fell into a brand new category of persons. She and Henry were the only two people in any world anywhere that Regina cared for enough to be bothered when their feelings were hurt.

But she had lost patience. She was done playing nice. It went against her natural inclinations, and, frankly, if Emma didn't want to fight for this relationship, then neither did she.

She turned back to the blonde, anger making her words harsh. "You don't want to do this? Fine." Throwing the door open, she stepped out and waved a hand to allow the car to start up again. "Then don't. I absolutely refuse to play the 'you know what you did' game. I've never done that, and I don't intend to start."

She slammed the car door shut and turned to the house, stalking toward it. "You know where your home and your family are when you decide to come back," she yelled out, not even bothering to turn her head to yell over her shoulder, "but don't come crawling back to my bed tonight. You can sleep in the guest room, or, for all that it matters, you may continue to live in your damned Beetle."

Not caring if Emma had anything to say to that or not, she entered the house with a purposeful stride and slammed the door behind her without so much as a look back. Being nice be damned. She was through with this foolishness for the night.

* * *

_**Monday Evening**_  
_**Mayor's House, Second Floor Master Bedroom**_

In her heightened state of irritation, Regina couldn't be bother enough to go through her regular nighttime routine. Instead, she did the basics, changed, and had just slipped into bed to try to read a little for the purpose of distraction when Emma strolled purposefully into the master bedroom and stopped at the foot of the bed.

Regina was tempted to poof the blonde back to the deathtrap, but decided that might cause a scene large enough to wake Henry. Instead, she started to tell Emma to get out when the blonde broke in ahead of her, "I'm irrationally mad and can't talk about it right now. But you said for me to stay every night. Every night. So I'm staying in our bed, and its going to take magic for you to throw me out of here." Regina raised any eyebrow to welcome that challenge. Using magic could most certainly be arranged.

She set her ereader on her bedside table, pursing her lips in thought. To poof or not to poof? That was the question.

Emma moved to her side of the bed, declaring in an angry, determined voice, "Someone once told me that no matter how mad you were to never sleep apart. So...go ahead. Do your worst." She flopped defiantly onto the bed, landing on her back and throwing an arm across her eyes.

"That person was an idiot," the older woman stated in a far calmer voice than she felt. "Having a sound night's sleep and waking up with a clearer head makes much more sense than being so angry with each other that you can't sleep well in the same bed." She looked over at the blonde, who was still completely dress, boots and all.

Regina rolled her eyes. Everything about this evening was turning out to be utterly ridiculous. Enough was enough. However, Emma had brought up a very valid point. "But I did say 'every night'. I gave you my word, and I've never gone back on my word." Which meant, of course, there was only one logical thing for her to do. With a frown, she threw the covers off and stood from the bed. "So, you may stay here." Grabbing her dressing gown from the chaise, she pulled it on, swiftly walking out of the room and pulling the door gently closed behind her.

Much to her supreme aggravation, Emma was on her heels as she made her way down the stairs. " I didn't want to go, and you weren't listening," the younger woman hissed at her. "I hate everything Boston represents. And I swear to god I will keep following you through this house all night."

Still acutely aware their son was asleep upstairs, Regina stopped at the bottom of the staircase and rounded on Emma. She kept her voice low, but her anger was crystal clear. "That is not what you said, and, even if that is what you meant, you're being ridiculous. Avoiding a physical location does not make that place any less there. You can't pretend it no longer exists to suit you, and…" Regina paused, realizing the irony of her words. In an only slightly less angry tone, she finished with, "you can't destroy it because it's not working for you." Despite herself, she winced. That actually hit much closer to home than she liked, but the truth was what it was, and she certainly couldn't hide from it. "What you can do is create new, better memories with people you love and who love you to overshadow the bad." This much she had learned, but maybe it wasn't a lesson everyone could understand.

She threw a hand up in frustration, turned on her heels and made her way to her study, stopping at the door to block the blonde from following her. "I know from experience how things turn out when you try to erase your past, and I won't go through that again." Never again. With one final, hard glare, Regina took one step back into the study, slammed the door in Emma's face, and magically locked it.

She was 100% done with their conversation for the night. She'd rather sleep on the couch in her study than have to deal with any more of the idiocy she was currently being subjected to.

Letting a growl escape the back of her throat, she walked over to her dry bar, poured a generous fifth of scotch and downed it. As the alcohol burned down her throat, she took a few moments to compose before going to lie on the couch, wrapping herself in the throw blanket she kept along the back.

She would deal with Emma tomorrow.

* * *

**As always, thank you for reading. I put up a lot this go around, and I'd love to hear your feedback on how Regina is progressing in this story. :-)**


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